Drunk Logan
by obsessedlikeneverb4
Summary: This is a S1 LoVe fic. There aren't enough out there. There are a total of 47 chapters. Mix a drunk Logan with a ticked off Veronica and what do you get?
1. Chapter 1

Drunk Logan

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this fanfiction belong to Rob Thomas and his creative team at The C.W./U.P.N. The story is my own creative work and my intention is to pay homage to the universe they created, not to profit from it. If I owned these characters, I would be much nicer to them.  
A/N: There is a severe lack of LoVe fan fics out there right now. I am in no way an experienced writer. I started this because the talented people out there weren't feeding my VM obsession...you get stuck with me. I will say that I love S1 and the morph from hate to LoVe. This is just another spin on the same old story. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 1

As Veronica was wading her way through the drunk 09er's, she couldn't help but laugh at herself. There was a time in her life when she thought that this was great. It was the highlight of her week when her, Lilly, Duncan and Logan were drinking and dancing the night away with their friends.

Now it just repulses her. Unfortunately, she did agree to help out a girl at school, Lexi, who wanted to know if her boyfriend, Jack, was cheating on her. Okay, truthfully, she was hired by one of the random 09er bimbos who wanted to know if her boyfriend was cheating on her. Most likely, Lexi just wanted to feel justified about hooking up with some guy at a college frat party last week, but that's beside the point. Veronica could care less. She is being paid to find out information. Nothing more, nothing less.

This party was the perfect setting. Lexi was "out of town" for the weekend, leaving Jack unsupervised and ready for his close-up with the camera, Veronica's camera to be more exact.

Dumped again...cheated on again. As much as he tried to ignore it, he had known that Lilly wasn't all that faithful. Sometimes she would pick a fight with him and cause a big scene just so they could break up long enough for her to indulge in whatever new guy had caught her eye. Other times, she wouldn't even go through the trouble of breaking it off. She would just become distant with him and be unreachable when he would call her at all times of the day and night. Logan figured that Lilly was just too full of life. She was this amazing light with endless energy who really was too much for just one person to handle. Even in her friendships, it took him, Veronica and Duncan just to keep up with her.

Then there was Caitlin. Not only was she cheating on him, but with someone like Chardo. He didn't have money or power or status of any sort, unless you counted local low-rent hoodlum as status. Caitlin wasn't Lilly. Caitlin needed Logan. Certainly not for love, he knew that, but she wasn't the Queen of Neptune High like Lilly had been. She needed Logan for the status and he didn't mind the fringe benefits that came along with that, although, she really was just too skinny. He was never able to fully enjoy sex with her, feeling that he could break her at any given moment.

Logan couldn't figure out when his life had gotten this way. What was it about him that made it so easy for girls to cheat on him and treat him like crap. He had really gotten himself worked up by the time Duncan came to pick him up for the party. They didn't talk much on the way there, Logan was too wrapped up in his thoughts.

When they entered the house, they began heading to the kitchen where the bar was set up. Duncan saw Veronica sitting in a corner just out of notice. He really had been looking forward to a night of just forgetting about her and seeing how great she looked was not helping his quest. He decided he didn't want to deal with it.

"Logan, you know, I'm just not into this tonight, I'm leaving. You can find a ride home, right?" Duncan said, knowing that his friend was the King of Neptune High and would have people begging to be his chauffeur for the night. Logan just nodded to him, not saying anything, and continued toward the kitchen.

A few minutes later, he found his buddies gathered around the keg. He was very emotional, but was trying to hide it as he stood around with his friends while they were drinking and talking about the chicks they were planning on banging at the end of the night.

Dick could tell that something was off with Logan and being Dick, just couldn't leave it alone. He piped up, "Logan, dude, you're already smashed, aren't you? You're supposed to wait until you get here to start drinking. You decide to have your own little party, or something?"

Logan thought about his friend's inquiry for a minute. What was he going to do, cry to all these guys about how nobody loved him? No way. So, he decided to just go along with it and began to really play up being drunk.

"You know how it is, man. Got to get the most out of my party years!" Logan tried to sound as though he couldn't be happier about his situation.

Veronica had stationed herself in a corner that allowed her to stay mostly out of sight while being able to see where most of the kids were dancing and keep an eye on the keg at the same time. That way she would be able to follow Jack's movements, keeping an eye on him on the dance floor and during his drink breaks. So far, it hadn't helped. Jack hadn't done anything yet that spelled out "Kodak moment."

With her location, she was able to learn a few things about her classmates, though. She had seen Madison coming out of the bathroom with Sean Fredrick. She was reapplying her lipstick while he was adjusting his zipper. Of course, Veronica got the distinct pleasure of watching her leave the bathroom and head straight for the bar that the keg was at. Madison picked up a Diet Coke, but before she could drink it was interrupted by Dick's tongue in her mouth.

"Dick, what the heck?" Madison screeched as she pushed him away angrily.

"What, I can't kiss my girlfriend now? Gees, can't you take that stick out of your butt for one night?" Dick was yelling after her as she stormed off.

Veronica bathed in the glory of Madison and Dick's relationship. Okay, maybe it was more of the fact that she got to bathe in the knowledge of where Madison's mouth had been immediately preceding her interlude with Dick's tongue. Dick deserved no less.

While still enjoying the replay in her mind, Veronica was pulled out of her thought's by Dick's annoying voice. When she looked over to the group of guys she noticed that Logan had joined them. _'Great, look who showed up. Even better...he's already drunk off his butt. Hopefully I can avoid him. I definitely am not in the mood to put up with Logan's crap tonight, especially not "Drunk Logan's crap.'_

Next thing she knew, there were kids running everywhere yelling something about the cops.

''_Oh great, the cops are breaking up the party. This night couldn't get any better!'_ Veronica started to make her way to the door when she ran right into someone. She would have fallen, but was caught by none other than the boy she was set on avoiding all night. Luckily there was no time to waste or to trade insults. They both stayed quiet and continued to head out the door.

Logan heard the other kids yelling about the cops and rolled his eyes. _'Of course, I'm here for a whole 15 minutes and it's time to leave.'_ Logan started to make his way outside when he almost ran over a petite little blonde. He was shocked when that little blonde looked up and he realized he was looking into the eyes of none other than Veronica Mars. _'What is she doing here? She hasn't been to one of these in months. Well, no time to harass her now, but I'll think of some way to mess with her at school on Monday.'_

As soon as he made his way out of the house, it hit him. He let out an exasperated groan. He had forgotten that he needed a ride home and he hadn't told any of his friends. That might be why, when he looked around, he was seeing all of his friends cars drive off, leaving him stranded. Just then Veronica brushed by him. _'Well, if I'm going to do this, I'd better really turn on the drunk act,'_ Logan thought to himself.

Veronica had finally made it to her car and just as she was about to turn the key, her passenger door opened and a very intoxicated Logan stumbled into her passenger seat.

"No, no way, Logan. Get out! Get out now!" She was now yelling because he wasn't moving at all. Then, he turned to her and a smirk slowly spread across his face.

He blinked slowly and slurred as he spoke, almost acting surprised that she was there. "Ronnie! Hey, what are you doing here?" He let his eyes wander around the car making sure not to focus them too much on any one thing.

"What am I doing here? This is _my_ car. What are _you_ doing here? No, wait, it doesn't matter. I told you to get out, Logan." Veronica was fuming now. Not only was she not able to avoid Logan, but now he was in her car and wouldn't budge. By the scene playing out in the front of her, with the police beginning to fill the yard, Veronica knew she wouldn't be free of Logan very soon. She had to get out of there if she didn't want to have to explain to her dad why she was partying it up with the 09ers. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Logan leaned in front of her and pointed out the window.

"Looks like we're going to be having a chat with the cops if you don't get this rust bucket moving." He chuckled so that she wouldn't know how anxious he was. He still wasn't sure if she would give in and give him a ride home or if she would stay there and face the cops just to spite him.


	2. Chapter 2

Drunk Logan

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this fanfiction belong to Rob Thomas and his creative team at The C.W./U.P.N. The story is my own creative work and my intention is to pay homage to the universe they created, not to profit from it. If I owned these characters, I would be much nicer to them

A/N: Okay, stupid question. This is the first time I've ever posted on I don't know where my story is. Apparently people are seeing it, because I've gotten reviews, but when I go onto the site, I don't see it. If you could help this illiterate person out, that'd be great. Thanks!!

Chapter 2

Veronica stared at Logan for a moment longer before finally giving in with a growl and cranking the engine. They had about a 10 minute drive ahead of them and she knew that it would be the longest 10 minutes of her life. Just as she was thinking that this night couldn't get any worse, Logan showed her the error in her judgement.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as he rolled the window up and down, played with the door locks and then finally settled on playing with the radio. It was when he started changing the preset stations that she couldn't take it anymore.

"Logan, stop!" Veronica cringed, knowing that he would just revel in the fact that he had gotten to her. She was surprised when he actually stopped.

This is when he chose to begin singing along with the radio...and not very quietly...and not really in tune. To add to it, he started drumming his fingers on the dash...and not to the beat. She was getting ready to push him out of the car while it was still moving, but then he stopped everything and opened his mouth to speak.

Logan was quite pleased with himself. He wasn't sure if there was anything more that he could do to irritate Veronica. He's pretty sure that he had done it all. Now, singing away he begins to think over the night. As he does, he remembers what it is that brought him to this point and like a Mack truck, it hits him. Suddenly, he finds himself battling for control of his emotions. His mind is replaying the times that Lilly would cheat on him and how easily he went crawling back to her, wanting to bask in her light. As much as he put up a front, always the showman, he really had loved her. Then there was Caitlin. Again, not that he cared so much about her, but she cheated on him. What was it about him? Why was he so easily run over, so easily forgotten?

If he really thought about it, he could add his family to the equation. Not that they were necessarily cheating on him, but they had each abandoned him in their own way. His father was an abusive SOB and only showed him love when he was selling himself to the paparazzi. His mother abandoned him every time his father needed to teach him a lesson. She turned her back on Logan and turned to the pills and alcohol. Trina, well, she was just a selfish wench. She didn't care about anything that didn't advance her career, which made her definitely "Daddy's Girl."

'If someone would just tell me what makes me so easily discarded...but, of course not. I couldn't ask any of my friends because their too busy kissing my butt to tell me the truth about anything. Dick might if he saw beyond booze and babes..oh, and surfing. Duncan is too diplomatic, wouldn't want to burn any bridges he might need to cross on his Presidential campaign tour. There is no one who knows me well enough to answer the question, but cares so little about my reaction to answer it honestly.'

Then lightening struck. 'Wait just one minute. There is someone who fits that exact description and she happens to be stuck in a car with me right now. She is actually perfect because she has experience with turning her back on me and not looking back. I thought we were great friends and that the Fab Four couldn't be broken amidst all of the fake adoration that surrounded us. After Lilly died, though, it was so easy for her to forget, forget me.'

'Now, how do I go about asking something like that without completely opening myself up to this girl that I hate, who hates me just as much? And, how do I get her to answer and answer honestly? I have to bait her into it. The only way to get a reaction and make that stoic facade of hers melt is to bait her.'

"So, Ron-nie." Logan slurred and then waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Done the baseball team recently?"

'Wait for it, wait for it...' He sees her lips form into a tight, thin line and her eyebrows scrunch together. 'Here it comes.'

"What the heck Logan? You, of all people, know that those stupid rumors aren't true. Heck, you've started most of them! Why don't you just shut up about who I've been with and concentrate on keeping track of your own business. It seems to me that you are projecting what is happening in your own relationships on to me and what I do. What are you, just blind to the fact that all of your girlfriends seem to want to sleep with everyone else?" Veronica couldn't help but yell. Sure she was used to hearing these kinds of remarks and normally she could handle them a lot better. There was just something about tonight and being in this situation.

When she was at school, she was always ready for battle. Before she even left the house she would adorn herself with a kick-butt attitude. She used to walk the halls with her head down, just trying to make it to her next class without making eye contact with anyone. Now, she held her head high and was prepared to pitch back any of the crap that people sent her way.

On occasion, she would need a reprieve. She was always able to escape to her car if needed. It was her sanctuary in the midst of the hell called school. Tonight, though, it seems that hell had invited itself into her sanctuary, in the form of "Demon Spawn Echolls" himself. If he thought he could get away with this crap in her car, while she was giving his sorry drunk butt a ride home, he had another thing coming.

'Hook, line and sinker.' Logan smugly thought to himself. 'And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it's done. Pay attention, kiddies, because phase 2 is where you really grab them.'

Logan furrowed his eye brows, put his hand on his chin and spoke with a mock-serious tone, "So then, Dr. Freud, since you seem to have such a good handle on my situation, what is my problem? What is it about me that makes, as you put it, all my girlfriends want to sleep with everyone else?"

Logan made sure that he did the air quotes while referring to what she had said, but made sure that his hand coordination was just a bit off and slowed. He had to play this one very carefully. They were starting to get to the meat of the matter and he couldn't risk dropping the drunk act now. If he didn't watch everything he did, she would figure it out. She's just too smart for her own good.

Veronica didn't answer, but he could see it behind her eyes. There was something she wanted to say, but wasn't willing to say it. Not yet at least.

"Come on, Ronnie. You're the smart one here, Ms. 4.0, future Stanford-Alum-nus." Logan added a little hiccup at the end.

'I can not believe I am biting my tongue. Logan, Jackass, Echolls is offering me the perfect opportunity to tell him what a moron he is, and I'm not taking it? What is this world coming to?'

'Saved by the bell or the gate.' Veronica thought as she pulled up to Logan's gated driveway.

"Okay, your home, safe and sound. Now get out. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out." She was so close to getting this night over with, she could almost taste it. Just one last step and he would be out of her car and she would just drive away.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Ronnie. You didn't actually think you could do me like that, did you. This is curb to curb service. Now just go right ahead and punchy in the little codey and we'll be on our way. It's 55734(hiccup)69." Logan added.

'Now I know that he is beyond drunk.' Veronica mused as she pulled through the gate. There is no way he would ever offer up the code of his security gate to her. It wasn't that he valued what was behind those gates so much. It had more to do with his arrogant attitude and him using something like a gate code to represent the vast divide in their social status. By giving her his gate code, he was letting her have access to that life, to the unattainable.

"Nighty-night, Ronnie." Logan slurred as the car came to a stop in front of his front door. Then he grabbed for the door handle and pulled just far enough so that when it slipped out of his hand, it made a nice thumping sound. He tried again, but again the handle just sprung back into place.

'This moron is killing my door.' Veronica thought as she watched him clawing at the door and tugging on the door lock that was already unlocked while slamming his shoulder against it. She quickly leaned over and gently tugged on the door handle, letting the door swing open as Logan was pushing against it.

In his inebriated state, he couldn't keep his balance against the shifting weight of the door and found himself flat on the ground giggling like a 12-year old school girl.

Veronica groaned and pushed her own door open. When she made it to his side of the car, she considered just slamming the door shut and driving off. Unfortunately, his head was in the way. Not that she would mind shutting his head in the door, but truth was, it was just too big and she would never be able to get her door closed.

She reluctantly bent down and started to help him up. He wrapped his arm around her and continued to giggle as she struggled to stand him upright.

"Wow, Ronnie, if you wanted to wrap me in your arms, all you had to do was ask. Where are my keys? What did you do with my keys? I can't get into my house without my keys, Ronnie, so hand 'em over." Logan was ranting as he smacked his pockets looking for his keys. Of course he was too drunk to notice that every time he hit his left front pocket, you could hear the keys jingle.

Against her better judgement, Veronica reached into his pocket to pull out his keys. 'We'll be here all night if I let him continue looking for them.' And that is when she remembered why it was against her better judgement to reach into his pocket.

"Why, Ronnikins, I do declare. Do I need to be on guard to protect my virtue around you tonight?" Logan played totally exasperated. "You're a sly one there."

Veronica just rolls her eyes as she unlocks the door and leads him toward the staircase to his room.

As they make their way up the stairs and into his room, Logan is bugging her to answer his earlier question.

"What question, what are you talking about?" Veronica insists.

"You were going to set me straight, enlighten me, solve all my problems. You were going to tell me why it is that I can't keep a girl satisfied." Logan is being over-the-top dramatic now.

"You're being ridiculous!"

"No, Veronica, really. Tell us, inquiring minds want to know."

"Shut up and get to sleep, Logan."

"Well, folks, I never thought I'd see the day. The great Veronica Mars is backing down, running away...pulling a Mama Mars on us." Logan spoke in an announcers voice with stilted hand movements and a swaying body.

'That's it, I'm sick of this! I'm not a saint, you know. If he wants it, he's got it. It's not as if he'll remember this conversation in the morning. Heck, he probably won't even remember how he got home, let alone who got him here.' Veronica remembered all the times that Lilly, Duncan and her would spend the day telling Logan about all the things that had happened at the party they were at the night before. He was there too, he would just get too drunk and pass out, then remember next to nothing the next day.

"It's your fault! It's because you're so dang STUPID!!" Veronica blurts out before she can stop herself.

Thanks for the reviews. These are my first ever on and naley forever

Beccakell13


	3. Chapter 3

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 3

A/N: In my original post I said that there would be stuff from S1. I didn't say that it would necessarily be in order of how it appeared on the show. Thanks for the feedback!

"It's your fault! It's because you're so dang STUPID!!" Veronica blurts out before she can stop herself.

Logan looks away for just a second as he tries to mask his surprise.

"No, Mars-ie, tell me how you really feel. Don't hold back now." Logan says in an almost manically excited tone. He is now rethinking his idea of asking for her opinion. 'This getting an honest answer thing may not be the best plan. She is going to be brutally honest, emphasis on the brutal. Oh well, here it comes.' (A/N: The idea of brutally honest comes from Jerry Maguire, not exact wording.)

Veronica takes a deep breath and then calmly continues, "What are you thinking, Logan? What is it that makes you choose the bimbos you go out with? You are the "King" of Neptune High," she says sarcastically.

"You could go out with anyone you wanted. For reasons unknown to me, there are lots of girls who would love to go out with you. And you still manage to pick the girls who are only interested in you for your money, or who your dad is or what you can do for their social status. Although I loved Lilly like a sister, she just loved playing with you. You were her entertainment, we all were."

"Really, Logan. You pick out these girls who have no intention of caring about you and then you wonder why they treat you like crap." She is really frustrated with him now.

"You should require better for yourself! You are so much better than all of that." She is looking into his eyes now, attempting to get through the thick haze of alcohol clouding his brain, imploring him to truly understand what she is saying.

"The real Logan or the Logan I used to know, at least, is funny and quick-witted. You protect the people you care about with an unmatched ferocity, and you've got that wicked little smirk and fireworks behind your eyes that can turn the worst of days into the best. And, Logan, you're ability to love. You have this amazing ability to love. You jump in with both feet and love with you whole heart...you hate with your whole heart, too, but..."

That is when Logan's hands grab her shoulders and his mouth is suddenly on hers. He has no idea what is happening or what even made him do it. All he remembers is being completely stunned into silence when she started her little tirade. He couldn't say anything, he couldn't do anything to make her stop speaking. His mind was reeling as he tried to comprehend these mostly kind words coming out of her mouth. Sure there was sarcasm and a few insults thrown in here and there, but if he didn't know better, he would think that she was complimenting him. Veronica Mars, his #1 enemy, the girl who he had tried to destroy for the better part of the last year was actually complimenting him.

One minute she is speaking, practically lecturing Logan Echolls, the next she is kissing him. Okay, correction, he is kissing her. She would never kiss him. 'Why is he kissing me? He would never kiss me, either. He's drunk, he doesn't even know what he's doing. I wonder if he even knows who he's kissing.'

Suddenly she realizes that throughout her analysis of the situation, they have not stopped kissing. Not only are they still kissing, but somehow they have ended up on his bed and he is laying on top of her. As soon as she realizes it, she pushes him back.

"What the? What are you doing, Logan?" She has a shocked look on her face and her eyes are huge while she stares into his equally shocked expression.

'Kissing you, what's it look like?' Logan thinks to himself, but knows he can't say that. He knows that this is crazy and starts to panic about what to do next. Then, he remembers. He can still save the drunk act. 'Heck, why would I kiss her unless I was completely wasted? I'm not, but she doesn't know that.' His thoughts are interrupted by her now irate voice.

"This is not happening, Logan. No matter how drunk you are, I know that you wouldn't just forget how much you hate me. What? Are you just trying to get with the "school slut"? Thanks, but no thanks."

His mind is swirling as he thinks back over all of the hurt that he's caused her and knows that he cannot defend any of it or justify the fact that he wanted to kiss her, that he is truly consumed by her all of the sudden. He doesn't even understand it. How can he expect her to. He does hate her and she hates him. There is a symbiosis to their relationship that works very well for them. He doesn't know what to do, so he does the only thing that comes to mind...he "passes out" on her. More specifically, he passes out on top of her. For some unknown reason, he still wants to be close to her. Even if he's not really holding her...their bodies are pressed together, his arms are draped around her.

She is surprised, then irritated again. Then, as she looks down at his relaxed face, she sees the boy she remembers. She sees none of the daggers that are usually coming from his eyes, none of his rude gestures or name calling. Just the boy she remembers. She sighs heavily and gently caresses his hair with just the tips of her index finger and thumb as if she is almost afraid of touching him.

"I wish Lilly were still here. She may have been evil, but she loved us in her own way and she knew how to fix us. She would be able to make you feel better, to heal your heart. You are just so angry all the time." She's whispering to him, not because she thinks she will wake him from his nearly comatose state. Lilly is a sacred subject and not to be spoken of lightly, especially with Logan. They never speak of her these days. They never really speak, except to trade insults. She struggles for a bit, but is finally able to free herself from under him.

Logan is thinking over everything that has happened tonight, before and after the kiss, and he is shocked. Shocked at her kind words, shocked at her loving actions. It was like they were best friends again. Like he hadn't made it his life's purpose to serve as the bane of her existence. Like he hadn't let the air out of her tires, prank called her, started rumors about her being a slut when he knew for a fact that wasn't true. He was pretty sure she was still a virgin if her "I've Never..." confession was still true.

Yeah, sure enough, he was totally stunned at how much care she had taken with him. Little did he know, he hadn't begun to be shocked until he was taken out of his thoughts by what she was now doing and saying.

Before she leaves, she pours him a shot of Jack and places it on his nightstand along with a glass of water and an opened bottle of aspirin. She know he's going to need this in the morning. She takes off his shoes and covers him with a blanket.

While she is doing all of this, she is talking to herself, berating herself for being so stupid.

"You should have known better, Veronica. What were you thinking going to another 09er party, Veronica? Nothing good ever comes out of those parties, Veronica. You'd think being drugged and raped at Shelly's would have been enough of a lesson for you." She lets out a little exasperated 'huh' and shakes her head.

"Guess you're not as smart as you thought. Way to let yourself get pulled into more 09er crap." There was no sadness in her voice. It was like she was just stating the facts and not turning Logan's world upside down.

She takes one last look around, making sure she has everything and then turns and leaves quietly.

Logan's head is spinning now, his stomach turning. Before he realizes it, he's running into the bathroom and emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet. If he didn't know better, he'd think he actually was drunk. This, though, feels much worse than had he actually been drinking.

As he comes out of the bathroom, he downs the shot of Jack. He knows he's going to need it.

He had a horrible time sleeping after everything he'd heard. He can't understand why he is so bothered. Of course he's outraged over the rape. You'd have to be a monster not to be. But that's not all of it. There is something else he can't put his finger on...something more

Thanks to Everyone for the reviews and adding me to your alert list!

EpicLoveFan: Yeah, so simple, yet I never would have figured it out without you. Thanks!

Beccakell13 & Literari and Naley Forever: Thanks for the reviews again. Because I have most of this story written, I should be able to update pretty regularly for the next 45 days, at least.

RayRay18: I already responded to you, but thought I'd let everyone else in. I don't cuss in RL, which is why the language is tamed down a bit in DL. BUT...that changes in coming chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 4

A/N: So, this chapter focuses less on action and more on internal thoughts. THANKS! to everyone for your awesome reviews and those who have added DL to your Alerts list. You're so great!

Logan gets up early on Sunday since he's not sleeping anyway. He gets showered and dressed, his thoughts never straying far from the events of the previous night. After picking at the breakfast Mrs. Navarro made him, he decides he needs a distraction.

He plays video games for a while, which he would normally spend hours doing. Today, only about 20 minutes before he's ready to crawl out of his skin. He tries watching tv, surfing the web, checking his e-mail, even changing the settings on his cell phone. He leaves the inspirational greeting alone since he doesn't think that he can stand to record a new one. Not today. He's even helped Mrs. Navarro by bringing his dirty clothes downstairs for her. He's done so many things, gotten so much done, he's sure a good couple of hours must have passed by now. Looking at the clock he realizes that it has only been 30 minutes since he turned off his video game. He's really frustrated now. He's got to get out of this house.

He picks up his keys, stuffs his wallet in his pocket and stalks out the door with an aire of determination. When he gets into his SUV and turns the key, it dawns on him. He has no idea where he's headed with such certainty. 'I'll just drive around for awhile. Mindless driving to loud music is always good.' Logan nods his head, satisfied with his plan.

He knows that he has spent the morning driving aimlessly just to clear his head, but his stomach starts to tighten again thinking back over his drive. If he were totally honest with himself, he would have to admit to a little more than coincidence as he recounts the locations he's seen during his drive.

With no apparent purpose or direction, he's found himself driving by her apartment, Mars Investigations, and after a call for information, he's even driven by the house of a basketball-playing friend of the tiny blonde one. But, no, this is better.

'Now I can relax and enjoy the view of the ocean. The ocean has a way of always relaxing me.' Logan thinks to himself.

He likes to come here. Sometimes it's surfing, sometimes beach volleyball with friends, sometimes it's just staring out at the water and enjoying the smell of the ocean breeze. Of course, he hasn't left his SUV today. Not yet. He has been there for the past hour and a half. He's just been sitting, parked across the street from the beach. He tells himself that it has nothing to do with the fact that the elusive blonde one and her side kick are there, on the beach.

It has nothing to do with the sight of her smiling and laughing, joking and playing around. 'No, the ocean, it's the ocean. The ocean relaxes me.' He repeats in his head like a mantra. He's just watching the waves, not the tiny blond as she throws a tennis ball for her dog or as she wades into the water or is instructed on how to fly the airplane. He does notice one thing, she seems relaxed, almost carefree. The only way he sees her anymore is when she's wearing a hard facade, masking any real emotion.

He had put so much thought into everything that had happened the night before and it was to the point now that the kiss was playing on a constant loop in his mind. He was just so confused by that kiss. Sometime between last night and now, he had given up on trying to ignore how good it felt. He had fought the idea for awhile based solely on the fact that it was a kiss shared with Veronica Mars. By definition, it couldn't have felt good. It couldn't have been hot and passionate and most of all safe and right. It was a situation without definition.

"Argh! Why did I even kiss her? What was I thinking?" Logan was frustrated with himself for starting this all.

Last night when he had kissed her, he'd been too shocked by his own actions for his body to fully respond to what was happening. After she left, though, and throughout the day and with the constant movie playing in his head; he was continually having to fight his body's physical response. 'I must have entered the Twilight Zone. I am actually fantasizing about one simple kiss with Veronica Mars.' He was utterly perplexed.

If he really thought about it, he would know exactly what brought them to that moment, him grabbing her arms and not wanting to let go as his lips crushed into hers. It wasn't just that the words she had spoken were kind, which they were for the most part. It was more that she had actually seen him, she knew the real him. As much time and effort as he had put into wearing a facade of indifference, she had seen through it. And, after seeing all that was him, the best and the worst, she still argued that he deserved someone who would treat him better than the long line of spreadable airheads he'd been going through.

Then, every time he felt like he was beginning to get a grip on the kiss, he would be blind-sided with thoughts of her accusation of rape. 'What do I do with that bit of information? I should do something, shouldn't I? But, what? I could try to talk to Veronica, but that would just be all kinds of weird and would open up the entire night for discussion. Plus, if she's never told anyone, she probably wouldn't be real excited to know that I know. I wouldn't even know where to start anyway.'

Every time he tried to come up with a solution, he would run into a brick wall. The more and more he thought about it, the more his head would spin and his stomach would tighten. He would get queasy and knew that he was going to have to deal with it at some point. Right now, it was just too much. He would just have to compartmentalize that piece of information for later.

He felt weak. He felt like he was being weak because he was so unable to deal with what happened to her. He wasn't there when it happened, he hadn't known anything about it, she made it through and it had been several months since Shelley's party. Yet for some reason, he felt responsible, like he should have been there to protect her when she was still so innocent back then. Yes, he had hated her, but no one deserves that.

Here he was having trouble grasping what had happened to her when she had been the one to actually go through it. Yes, he was weak, but he was determined to figure out a way to deal with it. Once he did, he would find a way to try to ease the hurt that she felt over what had happened.  
He had no idea how he was going to do that since last night had changed nothing, especially in her eyes. He wasn't even sure what he felt about her now. 'Sure, I want to help her because of the rape, but what about everything else? Do I still hate her? Did last night change anything else I've felt for most of the last year? Could I forgive her for what she did to Lilly, Duncan and I? To Jake and Celeste (well, who cares about Celeste)? Even if I could, would she ever forgive me for everything else?'

Logan knew that it would be hard to see her at school the next day. He wasn't sure how he was going to act.

Like Logan, Veronica had not slept soundly after she left Logan's house. When she got out of bed on Sunday and couldn't keep her mind from wandering to the previous night's events, she decided she needed a distraction.

She picked up the phone and waited for the call to connect.

"Wally, buddy, how's it going?" Veronica sang with a cheerful voice.

"Wally? Umm, Veronica, if you want me to answer, don't ever call me that again." Wallace said in a joking, but serious tone.

"Well, I thought that me cutting you down from the flagpole and saving your sorry butt from the PCHers gave me a certain amount of privilege when it came to nicknames. I guess not." Veronica teased him playfully.

"No, don't get me wrong, Supafly. Just, Wally? You gotta be kidding me, right? You could at least come up with something semi-flattering." He acted offended.

"What would you suggest?"

"Oh, I don't know. Off the top of my head...what about Big Man, Big Dawg, Fennel The Great, Bitchin' Baller, Adonis..." Wallace is stopped by the incessant roaring of laughter coming from the other end of the line.

"Off the top of your head? Boy, I'd hate to hear the list if you had time to really ponder it. But seriously, folks. I am in great need of your assistance today."

"What, you working a case? Need a little bit of MAN-power?"

"Well, not exactly. I was thinking more along the lines of a day-o-fun. And, since you are my BFF and Ambassador of all that is fun, I called you first. So, what do ya got for me? And, make it good. I'm counting on the awesomeness that is you, Big Boy." Veronica snickered as she finished his ego-stroking.

"Big Boy? I said Big MAN! You're hopeless. Anyway, brace yourself...it's gonna be good. How about, drum roll, please...a day at the beach, with the added benefit of flying my newest plane?" He finished big.

"Huh...Hmm...I guess. It'll do on short notice." Veronica sounded dejected, but added a giggle at the end. "I'll pick you up in half an hour."

Veronica and Wallace spent the day taking Backup to Dog Beach and flying Wallace's remote-controlled airplane. Veronica was happy for the retreat after last night's events. When she's with Wallace, she can just enjoy the sun and the beach and be, well, carefree. She doesn't have to be so guarded. Definitely what she needs after her encounter with Logan and the other 09er's. She's unsure of how tomorrow will go. Logan may not remember anything about the party or the "afterparty" in his bedroom; but if anyone saw him get into her car, he'd hear about it. She would need to prepare for battle tomorrow morning before heading to school. But, today was about relaxing, resting up before the battle.

Even with that perfect plan, she couldn't help but think about the events of the night before. She knew that the only reason she had told Logan all of that stuff was because he would never remember it. She never would have revealed all of that to him if he'd been sober. She would never have given public enemy #1 more to taunt her with by telling him that he deserved better.

'It's fine, though, because he was drunk, beyond drunk, and will never remember anything about last night.' She reminded herself.

She hadn't lied to him last night, that she was sure about. He had been horrible to her in recent months and she hated him for it, but she had loved the boy he was before Lilly died. She knew that just as with her, when Lilly died, a part of him died, too. A part of him died, but not all of him. Sure he had become really angry and kind of turned against the world, especially her, but she kind of understood it.

He hadn't had an easy time growing up in the spotlight. To the casual observer, his life may have been something to envy. With all of the time they had spent together over the years, she knew that it wasn't all it cracked up to be. He was constantly being watched and photographed. Any time he did anything stupid, it was photographed and reported on in the tabloid rags. Half of what was reported, wasn't even true, but still made him look bad.

His relationship with his mom was pretty good, but she was rarely around. When she was, she was usually busy with getting ready for whatever event the family was due to attend or host. There was so little time spent just between Logan and her.

His dad wasn't horrible, he was just too career-focused. He had turned his family into more of a publicity machine than anything else. Veronica figured that somewhere along the line, he just forgot how to do the family thing.

The Echolls Family may have had great fame and riches, but Veronica had decided long ago that it came at a very high cost. She may not have had access to the best cars, designer clothes and vacations all over the world growing up, but until recently, she had truly had her mother and father. Now she only has her father, but she knows that she can count on him no matter what. She knows that she is the most important thing to her father.  
She doesn't know that Logan has ever had that. When he was born, his parents were new to the business and doing everything they could to get to where they are now. It's sad to think that he has never felt important to anyone, never had a true family.

The closest he had come to a real family was the Fab Four. When that fell apart, his family fell apart. So, yes, he was the Obligatory Psychotic Jackass that she dealt with on a daily basis. She was sure, though, that deep down, he was also still that boy that she'd loved. That boy that had lost his family when Lilly died and Veronica chose to support her father and Duncan became a shell of his former self.

She knows that it will be difficult seeing him at school. He may not remember last night, but she sure does. In fact, most of her Sunday has been spent thinking less about what she'd said to him and more about that kiss.

When it happened she was too shocked to do anything, but get out of the situation. What has astonished her even more since it happened is her reaction now to the event. Each time she has thought about it, her reaction has grown stronger. It started with intrigue, then an unexplained small smile graced her face, next the tiniest tingle in her stomach. In the last couple of hours, she has actually caught herself wondering what would have happened had she not pushed him away.

She knows it's crazy. He wasn't in his right mind. There is no way he would ever willingly kiss her. He hates her and would torture her endlessly if he knew what had happened and what she was thinking about it.

She knows her reaction to the kiss is purely physical. Lilly had told her countless times how talented Logan was at kissing...and other things, but she had a proclivity to exaggerate. That kiss last night, though, was scandalously good.

Okay, everyone...the chapters are going to start getting longer. Lots more to come. To those who have reviewed, thank you so much. I truly appreciate it.

Adja: I can't tell you how many times I have stayed up too late reading fics...or writing this one for that matter!


	5. Chapter 5

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 5

A/N: So this chapter should firm up the time line a bit, although not everything is going to be in order. The last chapter Wallace and Veronica were already to the BFF stage. In the actual show, that didn't happen this early. Oh, well...just go with it.

Disclaimer: Also, there is a scene that comes from the show. You'll know it.

As she gets out of her car and walks toward the doors of the school, she is disappointed to see the ugly yellow monstrosity he calls a car already in the lot. She stiffens and slips on her mask. Prepared for the insults, the innuedo's about what may have happened when she drove Logan home and the "love notes" she was sure were gracing her locker door. Veronica opens the main door and walks into the foyer. She looks straight ahead, bound and determined to not pay attention to anyone as she makes a beeline for her locker. All she has to do is get the books she needs for her morning classes and then she can sneak back here during lunch when she is sure everyone is busying themselves in the quad.

She gets to her locker without anyone taunting her and there are no love notes. She knows, though, she can feel his eyes on her. She quickly collects her books as she waits for him to pounce. She closes her locker door and turns to leave. She is stopped momentarily when she hears it. This is what she's been expecting...only it's not Logan's voice.

Dick's voice is louder than normal when he asks Logan how his ride home was after the party. "Was it long and slow or hard and fast? Did Veronica show you her backseat?" He's laughing his obnoxious laugh now. "Yeah, Dude. Up high, Man."

She sees Logan look at her for just a moment and watches an odd expression cross his face.  
She starts walking away, but internally is waiting for his response. She doesn't hear one and is shocked by what comes next. Dick's voice again. "Dude, where you going? Don't leave me hangin'."

Veronica turns in time to see Logan walking away, head down, from the group of guys he calls his friends. She's completely perplexed by his lack of response to Dick's taunting. Normally he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to get in on some Veronica Mars harassment.

She's so deep in thought about Logan that she isn't paying attention to where she's going. The next thing she knows, she's running smack into the back of one Troy Vandergraff.

"Umph!" He grunts as he turns around to look at her. When he sees her, his mouth forms into a little smirk.

Troy had been hitting on her pretty much since his first day at Neptune High. She hadn't been ready for that, any of it. She hadn't been ready to start dating again. Not only that, but he was an 09er. She hadn't been sure she could trust him and she knew she didn't want any more contact with the 09ers than necessary. Even with her reservations, she couldn't help but notice how good-looking he was.  
"Oh, sorry, Troy." She mumbles. She's not sure what rumors he's heard already this morning.

"There is no need for 'sorry'. Anytime a gorgeous blonde wants to make body contact with me, well let's just say, it's alright with me. Remember that." Troy cocks his head, raises an eyebrow and winks. He has the slightest smile on his face.

Veronica could take offense to his semi-lewd comment, but the look on his face shows her his playful intentions. She smiles back and decides that maybe she's found the perfect distraction in Troy. After all, she was hoping to stop her constant thoughts of Logan and "the incident." That is how she has decided to refer to it from now on, not as the kiss, only as "the incident."

As he turns to leave, she takes a chance, "Let's go out."

"Finally, the girl comes to her senses." The look on his face is hilarious. They make plans to go out to dinner, and they're both looking forward to it. (A/N: In case you didn't recognize it, that's the part taken from show).

Troy's happy that all of his efforts to "woo" her are finally paying off. He'd started to give up. Veronica is relieved that she feels like she's taking a step forward. She'd been stuck for so long, living in the past. She'd been mourning the loss of Lilly, regretting her 09er status, agonizing over Duncan's decision to break up with her without even telling her, avoiding thoughts of Shelly's party and missing her mom and her old life. She'd been reminded daily of the events leading up to and following her decision to stick by her father when he went after the Kane's. She wasn't even sure what was true anymore.

Now, though, she feels like she's really making progress. With renewed confidence and a smile on her face, she continues onto her next class. She has forgotten all about Logan and "the incident" for the moment.

Logan decided to go to school early on Monday. He still wasn't sure what he'd do when he saw her. Sunday had ushered in another sleepless night for him, and he still hadn't come up with a plan.

As he entered the parking lot, he searched for her car, but didn't find it. He grabbed his books and rushed into the school. After replacing his books with the ones he'd need for his morning classes, he shut his locker and turned to leave. He was stopped when Dick, Beaver, Sean and Enbom walked up to him. They were laughing and talking wildly about Saturday night's party. A party is always more exciting when the cops break it up.

None of them noticed that Logan was looking around and fidgeting with his sleeve. He wanted to escape before Veronica entered the school. Unfortunately their lockers were in the same hall. He was about to make any excuse he could to just get out of there, when he saw Veronica out of the corner of his eye. He was stuck. If he left then, he'd have to walk right past her. At least if he stayed with his friends, he wouldn't have to deal with her just yet. He decided to ignore her and concentrate on what his friends were saying.  
Just as Veronica was about to leave, Logan heard Dick speak up. He asked Logan about the ride home. He was taunting Veronica, which drew Logan's attention to her.

"Oh, Geez." Logan muttered under his breath as his eyes traveled down her body. She was dressed in a yellow halter top with a short jean skirt and calf-high boots. Logan's mouth went totally dry and his body started to react to the sight in front of him and the memory of her lips. He imagined himself kissing down her neck to where her black choker was wrapped around her throat.

He knew that Dick was taunting her and trying to get him to join in. Normally he would've loved it. In fact, usually he would have beaten Dick to the punch.

'I've gotta get out of here before I really embarrass myself.' Logan ducked his head and blushed as he put his books in front of him and walked away. As he left, he heard Dick's voice, "Dude, where you going? Don't leave me hangin'."

Logan didn't stop until he turned the corner. Once he was sure everyone had gone about their business, he looked back down the hall just in time to see Veronica collide with that Troy kid. He watched them as Troy smiled and winked at her while they talked. Her back was to him, but it was obvious to Logan that they were flirting and it irritated him.

He hated admitting it to himself, but he knew this feeling. It was jealousy. He'd have to be stupid to not know that he was jealous. It was a known fact that Logan had a jealous streak, he used to show it all the time with Lilly. Veronica, though, wasn't his girlfriend, she wasn't even his friend anymore. He just didn't know why he was jealous or what to do about it.

'Why am I jealous over Veronica? Sure, I used to adore her, although she was too sweet for me. I would have broken her back then. I can admit, too, that she used to be pretty. Now, since she cut her hair and changed her clothes and her attitude, she's totally hot. Does that mean that I have feelings for her, though? I mean, I hate Veronica Mars! In what twisted world would I have real feelings for her? She betrayed us, remember that, Logan.' He reminds himself. 'I must just be horny and lonely right now. This will pass.' Logan's mind was racing trying to wrap itself around this situation.

He turned to go to his first class, determined that there would be no more thoughts of Veronica. He was lucky he wouldn't have to deal with her until lunch.

The rest of the morning went as planned. Veronica was able to avoid Logan and the rest of them by going straight to her classes. At lunch, she looked out into the quad and was able to relax a little after seeing the 09ers at their table. She went to her locker and replaced her morning books with the books for her afternoon classes. Dread set in, though, as she headed toward her next class. She had Journalism 4th period with none other than Logan Echolls. She decided to just eat her lunch in the empty classroom so she wouldn't have any premature run-ins with anyone.

Meanwhile, Logan is sitting at his normal lunch table with the normal people surrounding him, talking about all of the stuff they always talk about...surfing, shopping, rumors and parties. He's not really listening, though. He's too busy, too focused. He's continually scanning the quad, looking over at the empty table across the quad, looking at the doors that lead into the quad.  
'Where is she? Not that I care.' He tells himself. 'Of course, it is strange that the first day back to school since the party and she's nowhere around. I wonder if she's avoiding me.' Logan actually thinks it's kind of funny if she is.

'Here we are avoiding each other over something that only one of us should be aware happened.'

"I've got something to do. I'll catch you guys later." Logan tells his buddies as he gets up to leave.

"See ya."

"Later, Dude."

'So much for getting her out of my mind! Here I am actually seeking her out. What am I doing?' Logan shakes his head and just allows his feet to keep propelling him forward, in search of Veronica Mars.

Reviewers: Thank you so much for your great and kind reviews. I love that you are loving the story. It's been an obsession of mine. I am almost done with it...I'm writing ch. 43 and I think I should have in wrapped up in about 5 chapters. I already have an idea for another story and it has started taking over my brain. It's still a S1, but pretty different than most of what I've read. Anyway, thanks again!


	6. Chapter 6

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 6

A/N: I hope that you enjoy this update. If you can picture it happening, then it's pretty funny. I'm not sure that my writing did it justice, though.

In case you haven't noticed, I feel that pretty much all scenes should be LoVe scenes. It's more of a deeply held belief than anything else. Any scenes that do not involve both V and L, should serve only to further their storyline. hee hee  
-------

Logan had looked everywhere for Veronica. Unsuccessful, he decided to just go to the Journalism room and wait for class to start.

He entered the room and stopped dead in his tracks. The room was completely empty save one elusive petite blonde. She was sitting with her back to him, working on her computer. One of her feet was propped up on the base of the chair next to her which made her mini-skirt ride up her thigh just a bit more. Logan's mouth began to water.

She had not turned around yet and he stood there for a moment wondering what he should do. He slowly walked over to her.

"Hey, Veronica." He didn't recognize the tremble in his own voice.

Veronica didn't turn around and didn't respond to him.

"Veronica, come on, you don't have to ignore me." Logan prodded.

When she still didn't respond, he noticed that her propped up leg was bouncing. Looking closer, he saw the wires from her MP3 player.

'She can't hear me. Oh, good. I thought this was going to be really hard if she was going to completely ignore me.' He slowly reached out his hand to tap her on the shoulder. When his hand was just a couple of inches away, she turned around and moved to get up. The movement was so quick that Logan didn't have a chance to move completely out of her way.

When Veronica's face came into contact with a hand, it scared the crap out of her. She yelled and flew back trying to get away from whoever was in her personal space. Unfortunately, she forgot there was a chair behind her. She was in an awkward not-quite-standing position on shaky legs so when the backs of her knees hit the chair, she went falling backward. There was no grace or control to the act at all.

In the split second before she fell, she saw Logan lunging after her, grabbing her waist trying to save her from the fall. Because of his off balance position when lunging for her; instead of catching her before she hit the ground on the other side of the chair, her body weight ended up pulling him with her. With them, came the chair tumbling to the ground loudly. Luckily Logan was able to think fast enough to slip his hands from her waist and up her back to rest behind her head. Unluckily, when they hit the floor, their heads smacked into each other.

"Ow, oh, ooowww!!" Veronica half yelled, half growled as she grabbed her aching head.

Logan closed his eyes, grabbed his head with one of his hands and sucked in a hard breath.

After about 30 seconds of trying to soothe what would surely be huge bruises on their heads, they realized the position they were in. He was on top of her, his arms wrapped behind her back, one hand cradling her head softly. The other had been moved from her head and was now grasping at his head, but his arm was still wrapped under her arm from its previous position. His head was just slightly above hers and their upper torsos were completely pressed together. They were both breathing hard and Logan could feel her chest moving beneath his.

"Logan! Get off of me!" Veronica started to squirm and tried to push herself up by her legs which were still hanging on the side of the fallen chair.

'Bad idea.' She thought to herself as she ground into his crotch. She blushed immediately as she realized that he was a little hard. When she looked down, her face turned the color of a tomato. Logan's groin had come to rest right between her legs; the action forcing her skirt all the way up to her hips. She was so glad no one else was in the room. She would have been flashing everyone.

'Dang miniskirt. At least Logan can't see anything from his position...ON TOP OF ME!! Oh no, I've got to get him off of me now!' Veronica was dying of embarrassment over the entire situation and just praying that no one would walk in before they were upright. She knew that this scene would only serve to solidify her current reputation as school slut.

Meanwhile, Logan was frozen. He couldn't believe it. His mind was screaming for him to say something, do something, get off of her.

He heard her yell for him to get off of her, but her voice disappeared from his head as soon as he felt her squirm below him. He could tell by the blush on her face that she had felt his reaction to the closeness of their bodies. If he were honest with himself, his body had started responding to her the minute he walked into the Journalism room. Being this close to her, feeling her breath on his face, the fast rise and fall of her chest and now her attempt to push him off, didn't help the problem he was having. He knew that he was going to be getting off soon, one way or the other. He preferred to extract himself from her and avoid all of the humiliation.

Now, Logan wasn't very bashful normally. Any other time, he would have taken full advantage of the situation and made some sort of sexual innuendo while smirking and waggling his eyebrows. This, however, was not any other situation. This was Veronica Mars and he just wanted to get away from her.

Unfortunately, Logan's legs were also caught up on the chair, arching his body into hers. If he had fallen by himself, he could've just plopped onto the ground and rolled himself over. Because he fell with her, it would only serve to hurt her if he used her to maneuver himself up.  
After they both struggled for a couple of minutes trying to get their bodies out of the awkward positions they were in, Logan suddenly let his body slump and his head fall to the side.

"Logan, what are you doing?" Veronica sounded a little frantic.

Logan released a long breath, knowing that this was not going well. "Look, Veronica. This isn't working. Why don't I push up on my arms and you can slide out from under me. Then, I can get up without crawling on you." He looked into her eyes and awaited her answer.

"Yeah, I guess that'll work."

"You ready?" Logan asked. At her nod, he carefully pushed himself up on his hands. "Quick, Ronnie, this is killing my shins." He was so focused on the pain in his shins and keeping himself up, that he didn't notice the look she shot him. It was almost one of longing mixed with confusion.

It had been so long since Logan had called her 'Ronnie' without intending it as a slur. He used to call her that all the time when they were friends. It was his special name for her, not even Lilly and Duncan tried to use it. She used to love to hear it. It made her feel protected and cared for by Logan.

With everything that Veronica had been through in the last year, she was sure she didn't need protecting anymore. 'That was for the weak, dependent, the soft Veronica I used to be. I don't need anyone to make me feel protected anymore. I can take care of myself. If all else fails, I've got Back-up and my trusty friend, Taser.' Veronica figured it was a slip of the tongue on Logan's part. 'He's probably so flustered, he doesn't even know he said it.'

Veronica had to scoot on her back away from Logan. She was trying to move quickly, but with trying not to knock into his arms and with her legs still being caught on the chair, it was going slower than either would have liked.

Logan was shaking a bit from the odd angle and the intense pain of the side of the chair cutting into his shins. He closed his eyes so that he didn't have to watch her breasts move from side to side as she arched her back and wiggled out from under him. To his chagrin, he opened his eyes just in time to see her lacy panties right in front of him. Although her movements had started to return her skirt to its proper place, he could still see way too much for his liking.

'Yeah, this is really gonna help me calm down and get Veronica out of my head! If there is a God in heaven, please make this stop!' Logan thought as he gulped hard.

Finally, she was out and he collapsed onto the ground with a grunt. He rolled himself over and just laid his arm over his eyes while he tried to catch his breath.

"Logan, are you okay?" Veronica asked timidly. Usually, they'd be trading barbs, but this was so far from usual for them.

Logan chuckled a little and released a huff of air. "Yeah. Are you?" He sat up and began to look her over a bit. "You fell pretty hard."  
Veronica was taken aback by his concern. It seemed totally genuine, but she knew she couldn't let her guard down with him.

"I'm alright. A little sore, I'll probably have bruises in places I didn't even know existed, but I'll be fine." Veronica said trying to lighten the mood. Then, she remembered what started it all. He had been right behind her when she tried to stand from her seat.

"Did you need something?" She asked him as she stood and started dusting herself off. Logan followed her lead.

"Huh?" Logan had no idea what she was talking about. In his most recent dreams of her, when she asked if he needed something, he'd always had an answer. He was pretty sure his answer wasn't what she was looking for with her question.

"Before all of this," she motioned to the chair and the floor, "you were standing behind me. Were you needing something?"

"Uh, oh yeah. Well, I, er, I just wanted to say thanks." Logan fumbled his words all over the place.

'Thanks? Thanks for what?" She looked at him like he had just escaped from the nearest mental facility. She couldn't remember the last time Logan thanked her for anything. 'It must be some cruel joke.' She told herself.

"Well, I know you gave me a ride home on Saturday night and th-that the cops had shown up. I could've gotten into a lot of trouble, so thanks." He finished lamely. 'Okay, kill me now.'

Veronica looked at him long and hard for a moment waiting for the punch line. When none came, she softened a little. "You're welcome." She whispered as she looked at her feet.

Just then, they were interrupted by the bell ringing and kids filing into the room. Logan quickly righted the chair and went to work at the table in the center of the room. Class began and they were able to effectively ignore each other until the 'Navigator News' came on the television.

"...the dedication of the Lilly Kane memorial fountain. The Kane Family would like to invite all students and faculty to attend the tribute and celebrate the memory of one of Neptune High's most beloved students..."

Logan and Veronica couldn't help, but look at each other. After Lilly died, the school mourned. She was after all, the Queen of Neptune High. Everyone knew who Lilly Kane was, but very few people truly knew Lilly. She really only let three people into her life; Duncan, Logan and Veronica. For everyone else, she put on a show. She entertained her masses and they, in turn, served as her entertainment. Her name was rarely mentioned, but when it was, there was an automatic need to be near someone who knew her as well as they did. Veronica and Logan knew that no matter what they had been through in the last year, they had both truly loved and lost her. They each had a Lilly-sized hole missing from their hearts and their lives. You just can't share that kind of loss with anyone who isn't feeling it in the same way.

(A/N: Taken from the show)

That night, Veronica went to dinner with Troy. They had a great time, talking and laughing and flirting. Veronica felt great, better than she had in a long time. After dinner they stood by her car talking and then Troy bent down for a kiss. Veronica flinched, not because she hadn't wanted to kiss Troy, nor was she surprised by his attempt. She flinched because as soon as she realized what he was doing, a vision of Logan's face inches from hers popped into her head.

Troy backed off and gave her an awkward hand shake. He opened her car door for her and said goodnight before going to his car. Veronica watched him go.

Veronica was laying on her bed that night thinking about what had happened on her date.

'Brain, check. Dead sexy, check. Devilish charm, check. Formidable scrabble opponent...who cares. What's wrong with you, Veronica? What are you waiting for? And why in the world would you picture Logan's face?' She hugged her pillow and shook her head in disbelief.


	7. Chapter 7

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you so much for the feedback. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I understand why people beg for it so much. Feedback is my crack!

A/N 2: I wanted to post a second chapter since I was a little late in posting ch. 6

Veronica was in the school bathroom meeting with Lexi. She was updating her on Jack's behavior at Saturday night's party.

"Lexi, look I'm not saying that he hasn't cheated on you or isn't currently. All I'm telling you is that you wanted me to go to the party and watch him when he thought that you were out of town all weekend. I did...and he didn't misbehave at all. He had fun, he danced and talked to people, but nothing more. Now, I am willing to keep watching him, but I'm not sure that I'll find anything. It's up to you. Personally, I thought you'd be happy to hear of Jack's fidelity." Veronica said resolutely.

Lexi looked at her for a moment, "Let me think about it. I'll watch how he acts around me for awhile and then get back to you if I'm still suspicious. Here's $200.00 for your time. Thanks, Veronica."

(A/N: Most of these next scenes are taken from or adapted from the show.)

"What are you doing?" Logan asked as he walked up to Duncan, who was standing in front of his open locker organizing a bunch of video tapes.

"Oh, my mother thought it would be nice to have a video tribute of Lilly for the dedication ceremony." Logan could tell that Duncan was having a hard time with this.

"And she wanted you to do it?"

"No, my dad did...wanted someone who knew her."

"You want me to do it, man. You know I'm awesome at this stuff. Come on let me do it, I wanna do it."

"Thanks man." Duncan looked truly relieved.

"Yeah."

After school, Veronica ran up to Troy in the hall. She had gone over and over the failed kiss in her mind. What really bugged her though, was the fact that every time she thought of it, her mind always ended up on Logan and the kiss they had shared. She had to figure out a way to get Logan and that kiss out of her mind.

'What better way to do it than to replace that memory with another?' Veronica had told herself.

"Wait up." Troy lets her catch up to him.

"Don't run Veronica, people might think you're desperate."

"That would be a step up, reputation wise." She tries to lighten the mood.

"I guess that all depends on who you're asking." He responds pointedly.

'Okay, light joke flew over like a lead balloon...must go for the direct approach.'

"I think I might have given you the wrong impression. I had a really great time. I just..." Veronica didn't quite know how to say what she wanted to say.

Troy picked up where she'd left off, "It's just that you need more...and you get to fill in the blank here. A, time, B, space..."

She stops him as she lunges at him with a kiss which he greedily participates in.

They are making out pretty good when something catches Veronica's attention. It is a laugh she knows very well. She steps back from Troy enough to look into the A/V room they are standing by. She can see Logan in front of a computer monitor and scenes of Lilly flashing on the screen.

"Troy, can I call you later? There's something I've got to do." She's not quite looking at him.

"Now?" He wimpers in disbelief. He finally got to kiss her and now she wants to just walk away. "You started this." He jokes with her.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you later, okay?" Upon his nod, she gives him a quick peck on the cheek and walks into the A/V room.

Logan had heard Veronica's voice as soon as she'd spoken to Troy. Then, he listened as she apologized to him and finally kissed him. He had even turned to look at them for a moment, but then returned his attention to the computer screen before being seen.

When she walked in, he had been expecting her. He'd actually turned up the volume on the video clips of Lilly and knew that the sound of her laughter would draw Veronica's attention. Although their last encounter had been an odd one, to say the least, he was compelled to do anything to stop her and Troy's kiss. Short of stomping over and ripping them away from each other, this had been his best option.

He didn't know why he hated the idea of them kissing so much. 'I just don't trust the guy. He seems off to me, like he's got ulterior motives. Although, would I really feel any better if she were kissing anyone else? Don't kid yourself, Logan. Of course not. Argh!!!!!'

"What are you doing?" She asked him as she stared in awe at the scenes of Lilly.

"Assembling the world's most boring memorial video. Ballet, choir recital, debutante crap, Girl Scouts. Memories both misty and water-colored."

"It's Lilly as a long distance commercial."

"Well, it isn't really about Lilly, is it? Logan responded. "God, this would piss her off."

After a moment more, Veronica began to feel uncomfortable being in such an emotionally intimate moment with Logan. She started to leave when his voice stopped her.

"Veronica, could you help me out?" When she didn't answer him immediately, he continued. "I mean, do you think you could look through your stuff for any video of her. If anyone would have anything that showed the real her, it would be you."

"Yeah, sure, I'll look through my stuff." She gives him a reassuring smile and nod, then leaves.

The following day Veronica walked into the A/V room after school.

"Hey." Veronica said quietly as she entered the room.

"Hey." Veronica could hear the raspiness in his voice. He hadn't turned around and she noticed him discreetly wiping tears away.

"I, um, you were right. I found a tape that shows more of who Lilly really was."

"Thanks. You can just put it on the desk."

"Logan, are you okay?" Veronica asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, just a lot of footage." Logan was almost whispering.

With as much as Logan had put Veronica through, hearing him sound so broken was killing her. Maybe it was because she knew how hard it must be for him to relive so many memories of Lilly. At that moment, she made a decision that went against every logical thought in her head.

"Well, guess it's a good thing I'm here then." She announced loudly and soundly.

"Huh?" Logan finally turned and looked at her.

"Well, two of us will work faster than one." She said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster as she placed her bag on the floor. "Plus, I came armed with a video of Lilly that'll make Celeste want to get a tattoo and share a cell with a lifer named 'Bertha.' Logan chuckled and sniffed a bit.  
So, where do I start?" She added as she pulled out the seat next to him.

Logan was completely startled by Veronica's actions. He'd been drawn to her lately, whether it was because he liked her or just felt the need to protect her, he didn't know. He was a little nervous about having her around. For one thing, right before she had walked in, he'd been crying like a baby. He didn't really want to break down in front of her. Yet, having her so near to him, he felt like he was gaining strength from her presence.

"Logan?" Veronica was getting nervous now. Logan hadn't responded to her at all, he had just stared into her face with a blank look.

"Uh, yeah, uh, sorry." Logan mumbled. "Here, start on this stack. I'm still working on the footage and still pictures Duncan has on his laptop."

They spent the next 3 hours sifting through clips. The first hour was uneasy and deadly quiet, but then they started to talk about the images they were seeing. They began laughing and reminiscing about other times they had spent with her.

Logan told Veronica about the time Lilly had convinced him to have sex with her in a confessional. Not that he was religious, but he had been waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike him down. Veronica laughed so hard; she didn't have to try hard to believe it. That sounded exactly like something Lilly would do.

"Yeah, well, you know how she was always trying to get back at Celeste, whether Celeste knew it or not?" At Logan's nod, Veronica continued. "She once made me go shopping with her to buy Celeste a drawer full of crotch-less underwear and all sorts of kinky sex toys to go with them."

Logan's laughter was roaring out of him. "I would have loved to have seen that!"

"No, no, that's not even the bad part." Veronica grabbed Logan's hand to get his attention. "She, then persuaded me to write a note to Celeste in Jake's writing. She had me put all this stuff in there about his ultimate fantasy and that this stuff would complete what was missing in their marriage. Then, she distracted Celeste, while I changed out her underwear drawer. Lilly burned all of her underwear." Logan was laughing so hard at this point that no sound was actually coming out of him and he had tears flowing down his face. "I always imagined her face the next morning as she went through her drawer for a change of underwear. I wonder if she tried it on for Jake or if she sent one of the staff out to buy her new underwear. The really funny thing is that Celeste never said anything to us about it. It would be too funny if she thought that Jake actually had put that note there. Who knows, maybe she's wearing crotch-less underwear to this day."

"Oh, man! Why did I have to miss out on that one? I totally would have helped you." Logan said while shaking his head in regret.

"You did help us."

"What? What are you talking about. I didn't even know about it."  
"You're right, but Lilly had arranged for you and Duncan to go somewhere so that, in Lilly's words, 'Duncan didn't have a chance to be the stand-up guy he is and save the day for Celeste.' She figured he would've tried to talk her out of it. Not that she would have listened; she just didn't feel like dealing with it when she knew she'd do it anyway. Plus, if he'd known, his conscience would have gotten the better of him and Jake and Celeste would have seen the guilt written all over his face." Veronica was giggling as she spoke.

"Oh, man." Logan was trying to catch his breath. "Lilly was an evil genius." He looked down and saw that her had was still sitting on top of his. He couldn't help but notice how comfortable it felt and how soft her hand was.

Veronica noticed him staring into his lap and glanced down. She jumped slightly and quickly returned her hands to the computer, forwarding to the next image.

Logan's chest actually hurt when she took her hand away so abruptly. He knew why she did it and he would have done the same had he been her. It still hurt, though. He was surprised at the fact that he'd felt an actual physical reaction in his chest. It was the weirdest thing he'd ever felt.

They ignored the huge elephant in the room and continued looking through the clips. They had long given up on trying to look at separate clips. They both wanted to see what each other was looking at, so they just went through them together.

They continued to share stories, some of all four of them and some of just Lilly. They talked about how she always got her way. Not only was she convincing, she was extremely persistent.

"Yeah, she would just nag and nag and nag until you didn't have the strength to fight her anymore." Logan remembered so many times he would give her anything just to make her stop.

"Tell me about it. I still remember how much she bugged me to go out with you." Logan perked up.

"What? Why would she do that?" Veronica had his complete and utter interest at that moment.

"Oh, it's no big deal, it was before you and her started dating. It's not like she was trying to share you with me or pawn you off or something. She knew I had the biggest crush on you and she wouldn't leave it alone. She was a pest." Veronica said, then looked back toward the computer, assuming the conversation was over.

Logan's head was spinning. Although he knew it was going to be a mistake, he couldn't let this go.

"Why did you go out with Duncan?" He asked her, perplexed her decision.

"What?"

"Why did you go out with Duncan if you liked me?" Logan was looking right into her eyes and she could feel the intensity of his stare travel up her spine.  
"Because, I knew I didn't have a chance. I knew you'd never like me like that, especially not when my competition was 'The Great Lilly Kane'." Veronica smiled at the thought of how amazing her best friend had been. "Duncan was nice and, by going out with him, I knew I wouldn't be competing with Lil." Veronica shrugged. She was beginning to feel uneasy with the fact that she had opened herself up so much to her biggest tormentor. Sure, it was years ago, but he could still find a way to use it against her.

'It must be all of the nostalgia. I forgot reality for a moment there. I wonder how long it will take for Logan to snap out of his civil streak and try to maim me with this information.'

Veronica's thoughts were interrupted by Logan's voice. He spoke so softly at first. "You're wrong, you know." Logan let out a long sigh. "I was totally in to you. I didn't start taking an interest in Lilly until you and Duncan were together for a good month or two." He glanced at her and saw her staring back with her mouth open in surprise.

They both sat there staring at each other, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Wha-" Veronica started to speak, but was interrupted by the ring of her cell phone. She fumbled in her bag before finding and answering the phone. She had been so frazzled by Logan's admission that she didn't even look at the caller id.

"Hey, Beautiful. You hungry?" Troy sounded so smooth.

"Hey, Troy." Veronica had to clear her throat since it had gone totally dry at Logan's last words. 'Would he really have picked me over Lilly?'

She was so wrapped up in her conversation and her thoughts that she didn't see the panicked look on Logan's face. He didn't want any interruptions right now. He really wanted to see how his and Veronica's conversation would finish.

"So, I was thinking about a little dinner and then, you could start making up for cutting short our make-out yesterday. What do you say? Pick you up at 7?"

'Snap out of it, Veronica. That was years ago. It's not like it matters now anyway.' Veronica kicked herself for the excitement she had felt just a moment earlier and turned her thoughts back to Troy.

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'll see you then." Logan's expression turned to one of disappointment as he heard her making plans with Troy.

Veronica ended her call and looked at Logan. "Um, so, I've got to go. Do you want to meet back here tomorrow after school to finish this up? We can move onto the fun part and really show Neptune why Lilly was the life of the party!" Veronica tried her best to cover the letdown she was feeling at ending the work party for the evening.

"Yeah, that sounds good. We can just leave all of this here. The room is reserved for this project all week. No one else will be in here." Logan wasn't happy that she was leaving him and going out with Troy, but he knew he was being ridiculous.  
"Great, then I'll see you tomorrow?" She gathered up her bag and stood to leave.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Logan watched as she walked out. When she was out of sight, he sat back in his chair, kicked out a leg and clasped his hands together behind his head.

He thought of the 3 hours that they had spent together and how comfortable they had been. They had laughed and really talked to each other. It had been so long since they'd had a real conversation, but now they had just spent 2 of the last 3 hours doing just that. They had been able to relax with each other. He doesn't remember the last time they had done that. Even before he had started tormenting her, they had been dealing with Lilly's death together. Most of the time they'd spent together had not been relaxed.

Veronica and Troy had gone out to dinner, and like their first dinner, they had a great time. Once they'd gotten through that first kiss in the hallway at school, they were much more comfortable with kissing each other. In fact, they stood outside the door to her apartment and tried to say goodbye between kisses.

They finally separated and he started to walk away until he stopped himself and looked back at her. "You know, if we were the kind of people who attended school functions, this would probably be the time I'd ask you." He gave her a coy smile which she returned it with one of her own as she let herself into her apartment.

She laid down on her bed, happy to have a reprieve from the thoughts of Logan that had been crowding her mind since the prior Saturday night.


	8. Chapter 8

Drunk Logan

Chapter 8

A/N: Parts of this come from the show. (V & Troy scene adapted from canon...also Troy and Keith interaction)Thanks! FYI: I believe in long updates...so from here on out, they will be longer than they were in the beginning.

LOVE..LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE

"My dad wants to meet you." Veronica told Troy very cautiously.

"That's cool. So, I'll pick you up at the door, I mean, I can't do the beep and wave, but that's no problem."

"Uh, My dad's a little...intense." Veronica didn't know quite how to explain to him what to expect from her father.

"Don't worry. I give good parent." Troy responded without a care in the world.

"...and just so I can make the appropriate arrangements, Homecoming's a go, right?

"Yeah, yeah. It'll be fun." She should've been more excited. How, though, do you get excited about going to Homecoming when the last one you went to was spent with your best friend shortly before she died?

To top it off, not only would she be attending a very emotional memorial for her best friend, but Veronica was spending the better part of the week ensconced in video memories of her.

Veronica felt like she was just holding on to her sanity. She felt like if she could just get through this week and have everything go back to normal, she'd be okay. On the other hand, she didn't want this week to end...ever. Not that she needed reminders of Lilly, but she almost felt like Lilly was with them again. Reminders of Lilly were everywhere right now. It was so emotionally exhausting, but so wonderful, too. She was terrified that when it was over and all the attention was off of Lilly, she would feel like she was losing her all over again. Veronica didn't want to go through that loss a second time.

She also felt that, because the one-year anniversary was coming, people (and maybe herself) would expect her to have moved past Lilly. Like, okay Veronica, you've had a year to get over it. You've had a year to mourn and miss your best friend and to move on. She was no where near ready for that. She couldn't let Lilly go and she knew that something wasn't right about the way her murder was solved. Whether her father was right about Jake Kane or not, she didn't know. She just knew that something was off.

Logan had been standing at his locker when he saw Troy and Veronica walking down the hall toward hers. He heard their conversation and felt a pang when he heard about their Homecoming plans. Although, he knew it wasn't logical, he was a little irritated with Veronica. She was making plans for Homecoming and would be replacing the memories that the Fab Four had made the year before. Even though he knew that she had lost the most since Lilly's death, whether by choice or not, it felt like she was "moving on" from Lilly.

Logan had decided to abstain from attending Homecoming. He had plans to have a limo take him to the beach where he would spend his time walking along the shore with a bottle of champagne. It was the closest he could come to the last Homecoming. He was even going to wear a tux. He knew it was stupid and sentimental and a total "girl move", but he didn't care. It's not like he was broadcasting his plans, he hadn't told anyone. This was just for him.

He slammed his locker shut and headed toward the quad. He was lost in frustrated thoughts, when he harshly pushed open the door to the quad. It swung open so fast that it hit something in its path, er, someone in its path.

Logan heard someone say, "Whoa, watch it." Then, returning to a phone call, proceeded to ignore Logan's further presence. That is when Logan heard the boy making reservations at the Four Seasons for Homecoming night.

Red flags started flying and sirens started blaring. Logan was instantly ticked. He had found out less than a week earlier that Veronica was, in fact, no longer a virgin; and not by her own choice. Now, Troy was sitting there making plans to get into her pants.

All of the feelings of guilt Logan had after hearing Veronica's confession regarding the rape were resurfacing. He felt like he needed to make sure she was safe. Without thinking anything further, he went into "protect" mode.

'Number 1 Mission: Protect Veronica'

'Number 1 Enemy: One Troy Vandergraff.' Although Logan was still through-the-roof mad at Troy, he got a little evil smirk on his face.

'Oh, this won't only be fun, it's gonna be easy.' Logan quickly headed back into the school and to the Journalism room. When he arrived he sat down in front of one of the computers and pulled up the general e-mail. Because Journalism students often have to use e-mail to contact people while researching stories, they are given a general "Journalism Class" account. He constructed the following message, wearing a giddy smile on his face the entire time:

To Whom It May Concern:

I understand that Veronica Mars has a date with Troy Vandergraff for the Homecoming Dance this coming Saturday.

I also understand that Troy Vandergraff has room reservations at the Four Seasons for that same night.

Hmmm. Interesting.

"A Concerned Citizen"

Not only was Logan having fun, but he was keeping anonymous. His little e-mail would make it possible for him to ruin Troy's plans without having to answer to Veronica about why he would care enough to spoil them. Plus, if things went really well, his little stunt might even put a stop to all of Troy and Veronica's Homecoming plans.  
Logan went on his way whistling and quite pleased with himself. "All in a days work," he said to no one in particular.

When Veronica walked into the A/V room that afternoon, she wasn't sure what to expect. Yes, Logan had been civil to her the day before, but there was no telling when that tide would turn. She half expected him to kick her out as soon as he saw her.

She wasn't surprised to see him already sitting there and loading up video of Lilly. She stood by the door, keeping her messenger bag on her shoulder in case she needed a quick get away.

Logan turned and saw her standing there. "Oh good, you're here. We have a lot to do today. I figured that we got enough clips yesterday of Lilly growing up. Today, I think we need to focus on the video you brought and get some stuff from the more 'mature' Lilly." He was speaking a mile a minute and Veronica released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

She walked to the seat next to Logan, which he pulled out for her, and dropped her bag on the floor. "Well, okay, let's get to work then."

"Great, I was thinking that we should break the video into two parts. The first can be what Celeste is expecting. The clips of Lilly growing up with the soft music playing in the background, then we can have it transition into something more upbeat and wild, just like Lilly. That way, we'll capture everything that Lilly was. The debutante...and the devil." He was excited the night before when he came up with the idea as he lay in bed. Now, he was even more excited because they could get to work on it. In fact, he was so pumped up, he was talking fast and using his hands a lot in his explanation.

It was the first true excitement he'd had over the project. The only reason he'd offered to do it was to save his best friend the heartache. Now, though, he felt as though he was truly creating something that Lilly would've enjoyed. He was creating something that would come as close as it could to capturing the essence of who Lilly was and he was deliriously happy about it.

They began planning out what they needed to do and realized that they needed to get most of it done that night. It was Wednesday, Veronica would be going out with Troy and her father on Thursday night and the Memorial Ceremony was scheduled for Friday night. Although they might be able to steal an hour here and there, they didn't want to chance it and leave things for the last minute. They decided that they would just have to tough it out and put in a long night to get it as close to completion as possible. Then, Logan could use Thursday night to add any finishing touches and work out the bugs.

Although they did have a dinner break when their take-out arrived, Veronica and Logan stayed on task pretty well. It wasn't as jovial as it had been the previous night. One, because they knew they needed to complete the task. Two, because the footage they were dealing with made it difficult for them to share and joke around too much. They were watching footage from the last time the Fab Four had been the Fab Four. So much had happened since then. They had dealt with Duncan breaking up with Veronica, Lilly breaking up with Logan, Logan feeling betrayed by Veronica telling Lilly about Yolanda, Lilly's death and Veronica choosing to side with her father over the Kane's and all of her friends.  
The footage of Homecoming night just made it harder to ignore the almost year-long feud between the two. Although it was difficult, neither wanted to rehash any of it right then. They both felt like the video was so much bigger than them or their feud. They were willing to put it on the back burner to serve a higher purpose...that purpose being the praise and remembrance of Lilly Kane; sister, lover and best friend.

"We should put this in the video." Logan said as he pointed to the screen where Lilly and Veronica were sitting in the limo, dancing to music and drinking champagne.

"No, this isn't a video about me, it's about Lilly. Find a shot that just shows her." Veronica didn't feel comfortable inserting herself into Lilly's limelight.

"Are you kidding? You didn't have to know Lilly to know that you were a huge part of her life. People rarely saw her without seeing you and vice versa. You were a permanent fixture by her side. It only seems fitting that her longest-standing and closest friendship would be recognized in a video celebrating her life." He didn't make a big deal out of it, he just said it as though it was obvious fact.

Veronica was touched by his willingness to acknowledge the friendship she shared with Lilly, especially so publically.

"Well, then..." Veronica grabbed the mouse from Logan's hand and started searching through the footage. "if we're going to put that in, I think we should add this one, too." Logan looked at the screen and started laughing and couldn't help the blush that crept across his face.

"After all, people rarely saw Lilly's lips without seeing yours attached to them and vice versa. Your lips were a permanent fixture on hers." Veronica mocked Logan's earlier tone, then started giggling.

They were watching footage of Lilly laying on Logan on the seat of the limo...kissing.

"Well, Mars. I think that is a fine idea, your best yet, I must say. We both had our place in her life. This way, we'll show both of our talents. Your dancing abilities and my fine kiss-abilities." They were laughing. They knew they were being silly; but they also knew Lilly would get a kick out of it, so they didn't care.

By 10 o'clock, they had gotten pretty much everything done. They had ordered the footage they were using, chosen the music for both segments and overlaid it with the video. That way, Thursday night, Logan would only have to fix a couple of timing issues they were having.

"I can't believe that we've been working on this for over 6 hours. I've got to get home." Veronica said as she packed up her stuff and got ready to walk out.

"I know, but we were so busy, time flew. And, I think the final product is going to turn out really great. I'm sure she's loving this." Logan replied. "Wait up a minute and I'll walk you out."

"Oh, you don't have to, I'll be fine. I've got my taser." She patted her bag.  
"No really, It's fine. Anyway, who said it was for your protection? You know, there are a lot of things that could happen to an unarmed kid like me. We should at least use the buddy-system when going out late at night into a deserted parking lot. It could save a life." Logan feigned serious.

"Alright, come on, Pretty Boy. I'll protect you against the Bogey Man." She laughed at him and tugged on his arm.

He grabbed her shoulders from behind. "B-But, I'm so scared." He said as he crouched behind her.

"Wait." He stopped dead in his tracks pulling her to a stop with him. "Did you just call me pretty? Wait until my mommy hears that someone thinks I'm pretty." Logan grasped at his chest dramatically and let out a big sign.

They continued to laugh and chat as they proceeded to their cars. They said goodbye and Logan waited for Veronica to pull out of the parking lot before he left, too.

The next day Logan was sitting at lunch with the 09ers. Dick and Duncan and he had been talking about a new video game that they were planning to try out on Sunday.

"So, I thought your boy toy, Troy was going to be joining us for lunch today. You don't think he got way-laid by Veronica, do you?" Dick was addressing Duncan when he was smacked on the back of the head.

"What the heck, Man?" He turned around and asked Logan as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Lay off." Logan growled.

"Off who, Troy or Ronnie-skanktastic?" Dick laughed at his creation of a new nickname for Veronica.

"Enough! This is not the week for it. I mean it, Dick." Logan ignored the odd look he was getting from Duncan.

"Okay, Dude, whatever." Dick figured it must have something to do with Lilly's memorial. Although, he didn't understand why that meant he should lay off of Veronica. Logan had always felt like she had betrayed Lilly along with everyone else. He figured that Logan was just out of sorts with all of the attention on Lilly. Logan had loved Lilly; and Dick was sure that the week had been tough on him so he just let it go.

Duncan was astonished by Logan's reaction to Dick's comment. At any given time, Logan would have out done anyone in the 'insulting Veronica' field. Even if he hadn't actually stood up for Veronica, he had temporarily put a stop to the insults. He knew by the look in Logan's eyes that he was serious. He might have been playing it cool, but he was boiling inside.

Logan was fuming. He had been watching for Veronica all throughout lunch. She hadn't shown up at her table and he'd wondered where she was and what she was doing. He hadn't noticed that Troy was absent, too. Logan didn't like Troy, so when he wasn't around, he wasn't missed.

When Dick spoke up, Logan mentally slapped himself. 'Of course, she's probably with Troy. Why didn't I think of that?'

Although the thought of them spending time together made Logan want to lose his lunch, that's not why he got upset with Dick. Knowing what he knew about the rape, Logan now knew how horrible all of the rumors about Veronica's sexcapades had been. Logan had happily spread rumors about her and would often bring them up when Veronica was around to hear him.

Logan had a new perspective when it came to commenting on her sexual experience. He didn't know what the future held, whether they'd continue to be civil or go back to the way they had been before Saturday night. He did know, no matter what, he wasn't going to be tormenting her regarding sex ever again. He would do whatever he could to stop those rumors altogether.

Veronica was running late and hoping that when she got home, Troy would still be in one piece. They were supposed to go mini-golfing with her dad.

"So Veronica tells me, uh, actually she hasn't told me anything about you." Keith addressed the kid sitting across from him.

"Well, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." Troy responded.

"Neither do I." They both laughed a little too hard.

"Well, if you have any questions or want a list of references or anything..." Troy said with an aire of confidence that made Keith want to pluck out the remaining hair on his head strand by strand.

"So, you're going to the Homecoming Dance?" Keith interrupted the boy.

"Yes, sir...if that's okay with you?"

"Oh, of course." Keith answered easily. 'Could your nose be any further up my butt, Eddie Haskell?'

"And after the dance?"

"Well, I think that Veronica said that she had to be right home after." Still playing the part, Troy knew he had this in the bag.

"Good, and you're going to stay for the whole dance. I mean your not going leave early and go to a party or a hotel and still make it back by curfew."

"No, uh, I mean, the whole point of going to the dance...is to go to the dance." Troy was getting smug now. 'What, do I look that easy, Old Man? Don't worry, I'll have your pristine baby girl home on time...right after we do our best impression of bunnies at The Four Seasons. Don't worry, Daddy. I won't break her. I'll take real good care of our Veronica.' Troy couldn't help himself. He had lied to so many tough dads before, this was like a walk in the park.

"Good. So, you won't mind then, that I cancelled your reservations at the Four Seasons?" Keith asked nonchalantly with a polite smile on his face. 'Check...Mate. You have no idea what you're messing with, kid.'

'Where ever that e-mail came from, it was a great tip. As an added bonus, I'll be sure to keep an eye on the cell tracker I placed on Veronica's phone. I know I wanted Veronica to re-join the social scene and to gain friends again, but I hope she's over this guy soon...I'd hate to have to shoot him, cut him into small pieces and then spread the pieces all over the state of California. Bail Jumpers, cheating spouses, Lilly's murder...my schedule really is too tight for anything else right now.'

LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE

Thanks to all of the great reviewers:

LoVeElle: So glad that you enjoyed that scene so much. I was hoping that you guys would be able to really picture it. Better watch out, though...you may end up losing your phone like Veronica and Tad did. Do you have a Mr. Wu? Hee hee

09nerLoVer: Me, too. Thanks!

xosummerxo: Thanks for your continued support, keep reading, lots more to come.

IluvVM: omg, I just love you. :-) Really, thank you.

RBDFAN: Welcome, it was nice to hear from you.

LoVefan4ever: Thank you...I think you'll like the way it continues.

SaraLyleth: thank you. I like the idea of there always being feelings there, but not understood at the time.

Adja: And here I thought you were going to be unavailable for reading for a little while. Tests, or something? Anyway, loved hearing from you. Glad to have tied you up in knots. wink wink


	9. Chapter 9

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 9

A/N: These scenes are loosely based on the same scenes from the show. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE

On Friday afternoon Veronica was on her way to "Game Land" to help out Wallace's special lady friend, as he referred to Georgia.

She was headed out the door and would have just enough time to get the info she needed, then come home to get ready for the memorial. She was cutting it close, but knew she could make it.

Her phone rang as she reached her car. "Hello."

"Hey, Veronica. Uh, whatcha doing?" Veronica smiled a bit at his out of the blue call.

"I'm headed to 'Game Land' on a case. Did you need something? Is something wrong with the video?" She was starting to panic, thinking of what could have gone wrong and how long it would take to fix it. She could always work on the case later, if she absolutely had to.

"No, no. It's nothing like that. Wait, are you going to miss the dedication?" Logan couldn't believe that she would miss it.

"No, but that's why I'm kind of in a hurry. I need to go take care of this and then run home and change beforehand." She wasn't really concentrating on her conversation. She was driving to 'Game Land' and thinking about what she would find there.

"Oh, good. I was hoping to show you the finished product before tonight, but I guess you can just see it at the ceremony." Logan tried to hide his disappointment. He had wanted to show her the finished product of what they'd spent so much time creating. He felt like she should see it before everyone else. Plus, it was odd, but he had missed her the last couple of days. They'd spent almost 10 hours together between their work sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was like he'd gotten used to all of that contact. He'd barely seen her since then and it was really starting to bug him.

"Yeah, sorry. I would have loved to see it, too. I just really need to get some info for this case I'm working. I'll see you later, okay?" She had made it to the parking lot at the gaming club and was ready to go in.

"Yeah, see you later." Logan hung up the phone. He had been ready to show her the video. He thought over their conversation and remembered her saying something about having to change.

He laughed at the idea of her in "P.I." mode. 'It would be hilarious to see her dressed up in disguise. I wonder what she's going as...a janitor, a gaming nerd?' He couldn't really picture either.  
'Why don't I just meet her over at 'Game Land'? I was planning on meeting her somewhere and just watching the video in the Xterra anyway. Plus, I get the added bonus of seeing her sneaking around in her trench coat and Sherlock Holmes hat. I wonder if she actually uses a magnifying glass to search for clues.' Logan laughed at the thought. He thought it was funny how seriously she took this whole "P.I." stuff.

When he arrived at 'Game Land,' he spotted her car immediately. He parked in the closest free spot. It was a couple of spaces down behind a van. He couldn't see her car from his SUV, so he decided he'd just wait by her car so he wouldn't miss her.

He had been leaning up against her trunk for about 20 minutes and was getting tired of waiting. He was never known for his patience. At first, he would look up every time he heard the door shut to see if Veronica had walked out, but then he started to relax. He had heard the door open and shut several times when he heard her voice.

"Logan?" She gasped. "What are you doing here?" To say that she was shocked to see him is an understatement.

When Logan looked up, his mouth went dry and he instantly knew that this had been a very, very stupid idea.

She was walking toward him dressed in a fitted white button-down shirt, a plaid tie and mini-skirt, fingerless gloves, knee-high socks and Mary Jane's. To top it off, she was wearing a black wig.

"Holy Crap! Veronica?" He wore a shocked look on his face. He didn't even try to mask his response, he couldn't even if he'd tried. He was sure that the mere sight of her had awoken every nerve ending in his body. It was electrifying an daunting at the same time.

"Look, Logan. I know what you're going to say. Something along the lines of, I look like a street walker or, oh, 'Is this where you find your clientele?' What about 'Guess you're living up to that rep of yours, huh Veronica?"

"I don't need to hear it Logan. I was on a case, nothing more, nothing less. Be a butt if you want to, though. With my reputation, no one will question it when you tell them how I was dressed." She stood there just waiting for him to respond. When he didn't, she noticed that his eyes had not actually met hers the entire time she was talking. In fact, they still hadn't.

"Logan?"

'Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap. Definitely not a janitor. Most certainly NOT a gaming nerd. Oh, geez.' He'd barely even heard her speaking to him Logan looked skyward wondering what he should do. His body was at full attention now and he had to do something to deflect the situation. Then he smirked.

"Logan? What are you looking at?" She was now looking upward, too.  
He looked straight into her eyes because that was the only safe place to look. "Oh, well, I was just looking toward the heavens. Wanted to see if I could see another angel fall to Earth...or are you the only one?"

She busted up laughing. She had expected some sort of rude comment about her virtue, instead he was joking with a cheesy pick-up line.

"Logan, what are you doing here?" She still wanted to know what had brought him there.

"Well, I didn't think it was right for you to have to see the finished video with everyone else. I brought it with me, I didn't expect," He waved his arm up and down at her, "all this."

"Oh." She knew it was lame, but what was she supposed to say?

"Well, I'm here now, it'll only take 5 minutes. Then, you can go home and change for the ceremony. Unless, of course...you want to go dressed like that?" He chuckled.

"No, that's alright. I'll go home and change, if it's all the same to you. Well, you are here, lead the way." Veronica swept her arm up at him telling him to get moving.

'No, actually. It is not all the same to me.' He wondered if she had any idea the kind of effect she had on guys, on him. He started walking toward his Xterra. 'Man, of all the times I'd like to follow. Kill. me. now!'

They got into the SUV and he looked over for a moment. It was a moment too long. In her sitting position, that mini-skirt had traveled even further up her legs. 'Oh, I could do so much with that little skirt...bunched around her waist. Argh! Stop it, Logan. You don't think of Veronica Mars that way! First of all, we're enemies. Well, we were enemies. I have no idea what we are now. Plus, she was raped, you can't think of her like that. Yeah, right. If someone would just tell my body that!'

He turned on the video. He had watched it in it's finished state several times over. This time, he spent most of his time watching Veronica for her reaction.

When the music changed and Lilly came on the screen introducing herself to America, Veronica's lips tightened into a thin smile and tears slowly ran down her face. Logan knew how hard this was for her, how hard it'd been for him to watch. A little bit of the emotion is taken away when you are creating something like this because you are so focused on the technical aspect of it; the timing and length of the clip, where you should cut it, whether you should fade into another or tile a new clip on top. When all the work is done, though, you are able to see so much more of what the video actually contains...the life that it is meant to celebrate. Your emotions are allowed to run free.

He reached over and grabbed her hand, not sure how she would respond. He just wanted to bring comfort to her like she had that first day she'd offered to stay and help him work on the video. He was more than a little surprised when she didn't even look away from the screen, but squeezed his hand tightly. She needed to go through this with him, just as much as he needed her there.

Veronica continued to stare at the screen, even after it had faded to black. A few tears still escaped from her eyes and her hand still clung to Logan's.

"Ronnie?" Logan said quietly after a couple of minutes. He squeezed her hand as a way of emphasizing her name.

She came out of her trance the minute she felt him squeeze her hand. She looked down at her hand and hadn't remembered grabbing his, but knew that it was inappropriate. She was surprised he had let her touch him let alone tightly grasping his hand. She knew she had really been holding on tight because their hands were sweaty.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to." She said quickly as she yanked her hand away. She smoothed down her skirt and tried to discreetly wipe the tears from her face. She couldn't believe that she had let her guard down emotionally in front of him. 'I never let him see me cry. And, now, here I am. Great, I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it.' She was really feeling uncomfortable and just wanted to get away from the situation.

"Well, thanks again. See ya tonight." She said as she grabbed the door handle to leave. She stopped when she felt his hand on hers. Then she turned when he spoke.

"Actually, I grabbed your hand. It seemed like you could use it." Logan noticed how nervous she looked when he said that, so he decided to tell her the whole truth. "Actually, I think we were both needing some comfort." He gave her a sympathetic smile and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

He seemed really sincere and before she knew it, she was opening up more to him. "Will it ever get easier, Logan? She's been gone for almost a year, now. I still miss her so much every single day. I can't tell you how many times I've dialed her number to tell her about something that has happened in my day before I realize that she won't be answering. Every time I feel a new wave of pain." She paused for a moment. "It's been a year, Logan." She whispered the last part, but Logan could still hear the crack in her voice.

"I sure hope so, Ronnie. Man, do I hope so. Sometimes I'll see a situation and think about how much she would enjoy manipulating it. Or, the times I'm bored at a party and know that if she were here, we'd never be bored." Logan planned his next words, not knowing how they would be received. "If she were here, we'd still be friends." He wasn't trying to be mean or accusatory. Things were just much better when Lilly was alive.

Although he loved her, Logan doubted that he and Lilly would've still been together. Lilly liked to play around too much and the two of them together were like a nuclear reaction...hot, but destructive.

"Yeah, probably," Veronica answered simply. She didn't know where he was coming from or why he had said that. Was he regretting the feud they'd been having? With as harsh as he'd been, she didn't think that could be it. 'Even if he is regretting it now, it's a very emotional time. Once this is all over, he'll remember that he hates me and things will go back to normal. That is, if he's forgotten how much he hates me.

"It's getting late. I've really got to get going if I'm going to make it tonight." She motioned her head toward her door, then she stepped out of the vehicle.  
"See ya, Veronica." He said before she shut the door. Then he watched in his side and rearview mirrors as she walked behind his car to go to hers.

Veronica was snapping pictures as she walked through the sea of students and teachers listening to the school orchestra. She continued to take pictures as Celeste came up to the podium to speak.

Veronica almost choked when Celeste talked about how much Lilly loved the school and represented all of the good and noble things in the school motto. 'Lilly is probably laughing her butt off!' Veronica had to smirk a little.

She felt like someone was watching her so she stopped taking pictures for a moment to look around. She noticed Troy and walked over to him. They gave each other a little head nod and continued to watch Celeste as she turned toward the covered fountain.

Veronica felt someone bump into her and turned to see who it was. Logan leaned in to her, "What are you doing over here, Veronica? You should be up front. Let's go, Lilly's best friend."

He tugged on her sleeve and she walked toward the front with him. They watched as the video of Lilly played. It amazed her. Although she'd spent hours working on the video and had gotten to see the final product, seeing it on the big screen just gave it a whole new life. She was just as mesmerized by it as she had been when she watched it earlier.

When the video faded, everyone slowly started to dissipate. Logan and Veronica stood still for a moment until Logan broke the silence.

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could clean up the A/V room tomorrow? You know, that way we wouldn't have to do it Monday morning." He spoke quietly.

"Tom-" Veronica had to clear her throat. "Tomorrow I'm going to Homecoming with Troy. Aren't you going?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Logan had secretly been hoping that Daddy Mars had put an end to all Homecoming plans. In fact, this week Logan had been thinking about how nice it would be if Veronica could join him at the beach. He knew that she would appreciate why he was choosing to spend his Homecoming that way.

He hadn't understood that this last year. Hating her because she hadn't loved Lilly, Duncan and him enough to side with them is what had been driving him for so long. He was blind to her pain. Now, though, he knew that he was wrong. Really, he had known all along, he'd chosen to forget for a little while.

The real question was whether she'd be able to forgive him for everything he'd done during his period of amnesia. 'Yup, that's the million dollar question.'

"I'll meet you there Monday morning, though, okay?" She looked into his eyes and could have sworn she'd seen regret. This had been a hard week on them both and she knew he was probably regretting his last break up with Lilly.

"Yeah, sure. Sounds good." Logan said as they parted.

LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE

xosummerxo: Thanks! I didn't want to take anything away from Keith as "Daddy Mars, original kick-butt PI," but in the end this is a LoVe story so I had to give Logan the credit.

sarca666: Thank you so much. It was something that I was determined to do when I started writing this story initially. As a reader, I'm insatiable and I'm always looking for the next update.

Literati and naley forever: Wonderful. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like the way it continues to develop...lots more coming!

Lorelei Candice Black: Well, all of your questions should be answered in the next chapter.

RBDFAN: Yeah, me too. Since the balcony scene at the Camelot, I don't know how anyone could think of him anyway, but a hero...and he just keeps on giving.

Adja: Well, okay...then if you are gone for a couple of weeks, you will have a lot of reading to do when you return. Oh, and don't worry. Logan will be showing his manliness soon enough! (Take that however you'd like)


	10. Chapter 10

Drunk Logan  
Ch. 10

A/N: Let me know what you think of this update! Your feedback makes me giggle like a little girl. Thank you so much for the encouragement.

Flashbacks/thoughts of previous HC come from the show. Thx, again!

LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE

Saturday morning Veronica woke up with up with a smile on her face as she snuggled into her pillows and blankets. She couldn't remember the last time she'd woken up in such a good mood. She felt warm and safe and loved. As she lay there, images of her night's dreams were flashing through her mind.

"Mmmm," Veronica sighed. Then, all of the sudden, she sat straight up in bed.

"Oh, no!" Veronica said frantically as the impact of her sleep-hazed thoughts hit her full force. She realized that the images floating around in her head and the source of her warmth was the one and only, Logan Echolls. She had been having a series of dreams about Logan. The fact that they were dreams and not nightmares is what really concerned Veronica.

Veronica tried to lay back down, but couldn't keep the thoughts of Logan away, his intense brown eyes, the highlights in his hair, the feel of his hand on hers, his adorable evil little smirk.

'Veronica, you hate him, he hates you. It works well for you...right?' What was disturbing to Veronica was that she wasn't so sure it was working anymore. It scared her that in a week's time, she'd gone from knowing exactly how she felt about him to this completely mixed up mess of emotions that she couldn't decipher, let alone understand. Her confusion got even more complex when she thought of Logan's actions over the last week. It started with small differences in the beginning of the week with him not trashing her when Dick had baited him. Throughout the week, his civility, his seeking her help, his desire to have her involved in Lilly's memorial every step of the way and his acts of comfort had thrown her.

Thoughts of him made her feel like she was in a complete haze. She decided to get up and shower. 'Maybe that will clear my head and I'll be able to engage in reason and logical thought again.'

Luckily, the shower helped. Veronica had been able to see through the haze finally and had come to a decision or at least a conclusion regarding her confusion. She knew that the events of the week were colored by the anniversary of Homecoming and Lilly's death.

'I'll just let the dust settle a little and I'm sure things will go back to normal. We're both feeling nostalgic right now, but that will pass. When things do settle down, my feelings will settle also.' Veronica knew it was a good plan. After Monday, she wouldn't be seeing much of Logan and she was sure that things would be back to normal after another week or so.  
'So, I just have to make it through seeing him on Monday morning when we clean up the A/V room. That's not bad. Oh yeah, and the dance tonight. That is of course, if I even see him in the sea of people. Who am I kidding? Of course I'll see him, and the likelihood is that he'll be crowned King. Wait, who is he going with? Oh, it's probably some air-headed bimbo who couldn't care less about him. Won't stop her from spreading her legs for him, the little slut. Probably some tall, leggy, gorgeous whore! Argh, I just hate girls like that!' At this point, Veronica was stomping around her room. She was getting her clothes out and slamming her drawers and closet door along the way.

She was pulled out of her rampage when her father knocked on her door to ask her if everything was okay.

"Yeah, sorry dad. Everything's fine. I'll be out in a couple of minutes." Veronica sat down in a huff on her bed. After a minute, she had calmed down a bit. 'What is wrong with you Veronica? You don't care who he brings. He could go with the entire cheerleading squad and it wouldn't bother you.'

"I have Troy...I am going to the dance with Troy."

"What was that, Honey?" Keith had heard Veronica say something as he turned to walk away.

"Nothing, Dad. Just talking to myself," Veronica yelled back. 'Yeah, like a crazy person. Oh no, nothing's wrong in here.' Veronica thought sarcastically.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan had woken up in a terrible mood. He had thought it was a really good idea when he made plans to spend Homecoming alone at the beach in remembrance of Lilly, the Fab Four and their last Homecoming. He was seriously reconsidering how good of an idea it really was now.

Did he really want to go to the dance now? No. Was he still happy that he'd be at the beach? Absolutely. What was it then? It was the alone part.

Prior to this week, he would have opted to spend all of his emotionally vulnerable time by himself. The kindness and comfort Veronica had given him throughout the events of the last week, though, were making him rethink his policy on that...on a lot of things, really.

'Because of my pride and anger, I have missed out on all that is Ronnie for the better part of a year. I knew how good of a friend she was; she proved herself over and over again when we were friends. If I were really honest, she proved herself again, when she told Lilly about me kissing Yolanda. I wouldn't have wanted her to do anything else.'

Logan knew that the worst part was not what she could've done directly for him over the last year. It was the things that he could've done for her. She had the ability to make him feel needed. He could've been there to protect her at Shelley's party. In fact, no one would have even tried anything like that if he hadn't made it okay to hate and abuse her.  
Had he clung to her after Lilly's death instead of pushing her away, he could've felt depended upon and cared for, loved. He couldn't think of anyone else in his life who made him feel that way, not like she did. The closest person was his mother, but she didn't really rely on him for a lot. She had 'people' who took care of her every physical need and Aaron, who molded and directed their personal and professional lives.

Duncan was his oldest and best friend, but he didn't really need Logan. Even before Lilly died, before he had turned into this guy who expressed as much emotion as a wall. They were best friends and they loved hanging out together, but they weren't dependent on one another. Day by day their friendship became more surface.

'Wow, I feel even worse than I did when I got up." Logan thought to himself. The one hope he had was that it wasn't too late. He knew that Veronica probably would not be able to forgive him ever, but this week had given him a thread of hope.

Logan knew that she was going to Homecoming with Troy and that he wouldn't see her until Monday morning. After that, though, when would he have the chance to see her? Or to be alone with her? He needed to figure out what he could do to get more time with her. Journalism and lunch across the quad used to be too much. Now it didn't seem like nearly enough time to see her. He wanted to get to know her again. This week had been a good start, but there was so much more to this changed Veronica than he had seen. She was so closed off now, the utter opposite of what she had been. He wanted to know every facet of her and he wasn't willing to let go of that possibility, not yet.

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Logan's evening went as planned. Tux? Check. Limo? Check. Beach and Champagne? Check. Solitude? Check Check. He had taken his shoes and socks off and had walked along the waves. He had spent most of it reliving the last Homecoming in his mind. Then, he nestled himself up against a large piece of driftwood just staring into the ocean.

He remembered their 'I never...' game. The bored look on Lilly's face when she was imitating her parents having sex and Duncan's equally appalled reaction, the way he had outed Duncan for masturbating in the locker room at school, Veronica's admission that she'd never gone skinny-dipping and Lilly's, "We're going to have to do something about that," comment.

'To bad we didn't take the opportunity to do something about it that night.' He chuckled at himself. Here he was celebrating Lilly and the Fab Four and his thoughts had still drifted to Veronica. They weren't real innocent thoughts either.

He had a vivid imagination. He could almost see her with her new, shorter hair and confident attitude. She'd be wearing something more bold than the simple pastel dress she'd worn the previous year, maybe even red satin, like Lilly had suggested so many times. He imagined her striding up to the ocean in her no-nonsense way and unzipping the back of her dress, letting it slip off of her slender frame and drop to the ground. He imagined what her milky white skin would look like in the moonlight. She was gorgeous. He could see her wading into the ocean until she finally just dove under the water.  
Logan was brought back to reality when he heard the distinct sound of a zipper. He blinked and saw the very vision of his daydream.

"Veronica?" Logan said, which stopped her just before she released the dress from her body.

Veronica let out a squeal as she spun around quickly to see who had intruded on her mission.

"Logan?" She breathed out as she clung tightly to the front of her dress. "Wh...wha...what are you doing here?

Veronica's mind was racing. She had gotten out of the limo with the intent of taking a quick dip, just enough to cross it off her list and pay homage to Lilly in a small way. She hadn't planned to do this, if so she wouldn't have gone through all of the trouble of curling her hair so perfectly. When she saw the ocean out the limo window, she just couldn't stop herself. It was stupid, it was just skinny-dipping, but she needed to do this. She couldn't explain it. It was like the red satin dress she was wearing. When she'd seen it in the store, she knew it was the perfect wardrobe choice. She had the same feeling when she'd seen the ocean.

Now, though, of all places, she had come upon Logan. Luckily he had spoken up when he had. If not, they both would have gotten a real surprise.

"Why aren't you at the dance? Where's your date?" Veronica cringed at the thought of him sharing an intimate moment at the beach with his date.

"I'm here alone. I never planned on going to the dance. This," he swept his arms out, "is my Homecoming."

"A better question, Miss Mars, is what are you doing here?" A clever, but genuine smile plastered on his face. He let out a little chuckle.

"You know, she would love this!"

"Are you making fun of me, Logan?" Veronica was completely off of her game. She was having trouble telling up from down. The only thing she was sure of was the grip she had on the front of her dress and the fact that the dress was fully unzipped, her back exposed.

"No." His face lost all signs of laughter. "I'm dead serious. I was just thinking about that night and our round of 'I never.' She would be so proud to see you here now."

"Yeah, well, I didn't really plan on running into anyone." Then she continued in a quieter voice, "I didn't really plan this at all. I saw the ocean and just couldn't pass it up."

"Well, look, I don't want to ruin your plans or anything. Feel free to continue on your path." Logan motioned toward the water.

Veronica laughed. "Like that's gonna happen. You expect me to undress and walk out there and you, what? With front row seats for the whole thing? I don't think so."

"It's not a big deal. I'll even turn around." Logan was completely serious as he turned away from her. He knew that it might kill him, but he wouldn't gawk at her. He knew how important this was to her and he wouldn't want to take advantage of her in any way.

"No big deal, huh?" I don't see you getting undressed to parade around."

"Okay." That's all Logan said. Veronica was pondering what he meant by that when she saw him lay his tux jacket on the large piece of driftwood he'd been leaning against. When he turned around and was peeling off his shirt, she stopped him.

"Logan, stop. What are you doing?"

"If you're not going to do it by yourself, I'll go with you. That way we'll both be equally exposed. I won't even glance toward you until we're under the cover of water. Of course, you're not allowed to peek, either." He gave her a pointed look.

"Are you serious?" He must be crazy. 'I must be crazy for actually considering this preposterous idea.'

"Look, I know that you're not out here just for the joy of skinny-dipping. I know the significance of this one act. My whole reason for being here tonight is for the same reason. It's my way of remembering and celebrating her and the way things were. I know that's what this is for you and I don't want to be the one to stop you from accomplishing that. Come on, it'll be cathartic." He waited patiently for her to respond.

That was it, that little speech was all it took for Veronica Mars to agree to get naked with Logan Echolls. 'I understand, now, how so many girls can sleep with him. He can make a completely outrageous suggestion sound completely sane and logical.'

They worked it out so that they would walk side by side, looking straight ahead as they walked into the water. Logan couldn't wait to get into the cold water. Being close enough to touch her, knowing that she was without a scrap of clothing was too much for Logan. He needed that cold water to counteract the effects she was having on his body.

When they were finally in the water, they turned toward each other tentatively. They relaxed when they realized that they were "safe."

Veronica got a huge smile on her face, grabbed his upper arms and let out a "woo-hoo" as she shook him. She was so excited, it was exhilarating.

After a moment, her smiling face turned into a thoughtful expression.

"What?" Logan noticed the change immediately and started to get concerned. 'Is she regretting this? Please don't say you're regretting this.'  
"I never would have come here tonight if I'd known you were here." She said and noticed the hurt look in his eyes. "I'm so glad I did, though."

"I'm actually happy to be sharing this with you. You are the only one, besides Duncan maybe, who could understand how important such an insignificant act is. Thank you, Logan."

She was looking up into his eyes and she was so sincere. Logan wet his lips with his tongue, he wanted to kiss her so badly in that moment. Instead, he settled for stroking his hand down the side of her face. "Your welcome, Veronica. Thank you for sharing part of my Homecoming with me. I'd hug you, but I'm thinking that would probably defeat the whole 'no peeking rule' we have going. Although, technically, we wouldn't be peeking..." He laughed as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Veronica laughed, too. "Yeah, I'm thinking we'd probably be crossing some sort of boundary there."

"Ver-oni-ca?" Logan and Veronica turned quickly as they heard someone calling Veronica's name.

"Oh, shoot. I totally forgot that Troy, Wallace and Georgia are waiting in the limo for me. I'm so sorry, I've got to go." She didn't want Troy coming to look for her, especially since she was now skinny-dipping with Logan while on a date with Troy. "I'll be right there," she yelled back.

"Well, we'd better send you off, then. Shall we?" Logan said as he gently guided her out of the water with a hand on the small of her back. Her skin felt so silky in the water.

When they were on the beach, Logan held up his tux jacket for Veronica to dress behind. When she was done, he wrapped it around his waist waiting for her to leave before he got dressed.

As she passed him to leave, she leaned toward his ear, "See you on Monday, Logan. Have a good night and stay safe out here, okay?" She said and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you again."

LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...LOVE

REVIEWERS:

xosummerxo: Answer your questions? I hope I did it justice here. A little different spin on things, anyway.

sarca666: Thank you so much. I totally understand where you are coming from. Actually, I've had to stop myself from posting multiple chapters too close together...hey, you've got to wait a little, at least. :-)

Literati and naley forever: Thank you. I hope that the insight into both Logan and Veronica's thoughts really comes out in the whole story.

Lorelei Candice Black: Well, this should have answered all of your questions...how'd I do?

RBDFAN: Yeah, see, I'm just in love with him in general. If I had it my way, the show would e called 'Logan Echolls.' Don't get me wrong, I know it's not feasible, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Adja: hahahahaha. Well, girl. I give up...I don't know when you'll be leaving. :-)

IluvVM: Oh, I'm so glad I'm wrapping your emotions all up in knots...there will be A LOT more of that coming! Thanks so much for your kindness

SaraLyleth: hmmm, that's the question, isn't it? What is going to happen with Troy? Obviously, he is in the way of LoVe...but, what are we going to do about him? I think you'll be surprised. Keep reading. I think your questions...some of them about Troy will be answered in Ch. 12...if I remember correctly...maybe it's ch. 13.

BrokenGravity23: Thank you so much...sounds like you're a reader after my own heart. Yes, S1 totally rocks, yes I love the indepthness of the longer chapters. Makes you feel like you're eating the full meal, even if you don't get to the dessert...instead of stopping at the dinner salad. Huh? Food analogies...no, I don't know why I have 30 pounds to lose. Hmmm. :-)

Kaleena Mason: Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

vmars3: Wow! All I can say is a big THANK YOU! I really appreciate your wonderful words. Well, we know LoVe has to get around Troy...

09nerLoVer: Thank you. I don't know if people realize how giddy I feel when I get reviews...thank you for my giddyness.

VMLoVeR87: Soon enough? If I were reading, I'd say no...cause I'm a very greedy reader, hee hee. Actually, I'm getting to reread these chapters that I wrote beginning in March. I find myself wanting to post quickly so that I can reread my own story. Yes, I could read it at any time, but I'm keeping myself just a chapter or two ahead of you guys...so I like the quick updates, too.

inspiresxlove: Thank you so much. I'm so happy that you are enjoying it!!! I hope you enjoy future chapters as much.


	11. Chapter 11

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 11

A/N: What happens when you combine good memories with bad memories with no memories at all?  
This is actually one of the main chapters I worked toward when writing this fic. I knew I wanted to do this chapter in this way and had to set up a way to get here, hence L/V working on the project together. It'll make sense when you read it. I hope I didn't rush it and hope you like it.  
Thanks for the reviews. They feed my soul.

A/N2: I'm posting this tonight, because I don't know how hectic things will be tomorrow. I know I'll be out for at least a good part of the day.

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Logan woke up extra early on Monday morning. He was in a rush to get to school which was unprecedented for him. He usually rolled out of bed at the last possible moment and would stroll into school as late as possible.

He had been really disappointed on Saturday night when Veronica left him at the beach. For a few moments, he had what he'd wanted. It was so much better than what he'd hoped for. She had actually gone skinny-dipping with him, something he never thought would happen. Then, when she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek before walking away, he wanted to grab her and never let her go. He'd spent all night and all day Sunday thinking about her. He couldn't wait to see her.

Logan got up, showered, shaved and paid special attention to his hair. He picked out his favorite green shirt and sprayed on some cologne. He adjusted his puka shell necklace and tugged at his hair as he looked into the mirror one last time. He laughed at himself because he felt like he was getting ready for a date, not school.

When he pulled into the Neptune High parking lot, it was pretty barren, save a couple of cars. He was surprised that the black LeBaron was there already. 'What did I expect, that I'd beat her here?' Logan knew from past experience that Veronica was always early. Since he was so early himself this morning, he'd just assumed he would be waiting for her. 'Is it too much to hope that she wanted to get here early to see me, too?'

He pulled into the stall next to her car and got out. He'd seen her sitting in her car, but she hadn't gotten out yet so he walked over to the driver side door. What greeted him was a very relaxed Veronica Mars, eyes closed and head slightly moving to the music pumping through her MP3 player.

Logan thought it was funny that this was the second time he would be catching her zoning out in music land. He blushed a little thinking of how the first meeting ended. Then, he got a look on his face that would have scared Veronica...had she been paying attention.

'I think Ronnie needs to be taught a little lesson,' Logan smiled like a Cheshire cat. 'She really needs to be more aware of her surroundings.' Logan rubbed his hands together and plotted his evil attack.

He very gently opened her door so that she wasn't alerted to his presence. Then, he moved into position, one hand settled inches above her knee, the other right between her hip and waist. Logan remembered those to be the best spots for Veronica Tickle Torture. He hoped that hadn't changed as he dove in and began tickling her with vigor.

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Veronica had been completely nervous thinking about her prior meeting with Logan at the beach. She'd spent the rest of the weekend thinking and dreaming about it. What possessed her to go skinny-dipping with him, she still didn't know. She had a good time at the dance, but if she'd had the choice, she would have stayed with Logan that night. They were so connected by the thoughts of Lilly and the previous Homecoming, that she felt really comfortable with him. Which, if she thought about it, was just outrageous. She had been more comfortable and felt more at home than she had in a long time; all while naked in the ocean with the boy who had made her life a living hell for the past year.

'How messed up is that?' She knew that after they cleaned up the A/V room, they would go their separate ways and have no reason to talk. As much as she hated to admit it, she was going to miss spending time with him. They had finally gotten to a weird, but good place after so much hurt. She felt like she was going to have to re-strengthen herself for the return of his animosity. She just wasn't ready yet. He had definitely had an affect on her hard shell and she could tell she didn't have a lot of fight in her.

This is why she had decided to relax with her music. She knew it'd be awhile before Logan showed up and she wanted to settle the thoughts in her mind. She just continued to go through scenario after scenario of how they would act around each other today, how long it would take for their public war to return, what it would have been like had Logan kissed her when they were in the ocean. 'Oh yeah, music is much safer.' Veronica knew that she would just make herself crazy if she continued on. She decided that she would just act very nonchalant with Logan. That way when he decided to turn back into an ass, she wouldn't be completely taken off guard.

That was a good plan until she was jarred out of her serenity by what Logan used to refer to when they were friends as, "The Terrible Tickle Torture." Her entire body tensed and it seemed that every one of her limbs flew in a different direction. Her eyes flew open to see the culprit laughing maniacally at his own evil genius.

"S–stop, Lo---gan, stop!" Veronica was laughing uncontrollably while she tried her best to fight his hands off. Finally, he stopped and they were both breathing hard as they tried to control their giggling. "Good morning, Miss Mars." He said in a very sophisticated tone.

Veronica was rubbing her leg as Logan held out his hand to help her out of the car. "Veronica Mars, our clean-up awaits." He said as he swept his other hand out motioning toward the school.

She took his hand and couldn't help but think of how nice and natural it felt. She had gotten out of the car and was about to shut the door when she spun around. "Wait, I almost forgot my bag," she said as she bent into the car to retrieve it from the passenger seat. Logan groaned as he watched her bend over in her brown sweater that rose when she stretched to reach her bag. Logan could see the skin between the sweater and her low-rise jeans when she stretched to reach her bag.

"What was that?" Veronica asked as she straightened.  
"Nothing, I was just stretching. It's still a little early, Ronnie." He was covering. Every part of his body was awake this morning, but it seemed to placate her.

"Yeah, I'm shocked that you're here so early. I figured I'd have another half an hour to wait for your lazy butt." She chided him with a smile and a nudge of her elbow.

"Yeah, uh, I just thought I'd get an early start on the day. Actually, I thought I'd have to wait on you." He was a little nervous broaching the subject as he didn't want to let her in on the fact that he was here solely for her. "Silly me, I know. You're probably here this early every morning awaiting the opening of the great doors of education." The thought deflated him a bit.

"Are you kidding? This is not my favorite place to be now-a-days." She saw him cringe. "I just had trouble sleeping last night and figured I was awake anyway." She shrugged.

He smiled back down at her, glad that she had let it slide that he was the reason she hated coming to school. When he noticed that she was limping, he stopped immediately.

"What's wrong? What happened to your leg?" Veronica was surprised at the amount of genuine concern written across his face.

"Well, I don't know. See, I was just relaxing in my car when some jackass decided to tickle torture me...causing me to jump and hit my leg on the steering wheel." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Logan laughed a hearty laugh. "Well, then, let me give you a lift." He said as he got in front of her and bent down a bit with his back to her.

"Umm, Logan? What are you doing?" She was looking at him like he was crazy.

"I'm going to give you a piggy-back ride." He said like it was the most obvious answer in the world. He knew it was a little childish. The truth was, he would have done anything to be as close as possible to her. He just wanted to touch her and have her wrap her arms around him.

"No, really, Logan. I'm fine, it'll just take a minute." She couldn't believe he had offered to give her a piggy-back ride. 'I wouldn't mind a ride, Logan, that's just not the type I was thinking about. Whoa! Wait a minute, Veronica. What are you thinking? Repeat after me...You do NOT want to jump Logan Echolls' bones. Say this over and over to yourself. Wow, you'd think there would be a sign saying 'Welcome to The Twilight Zone.' I sure didn't see it if there was.'

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Logan's voice.

"Well, this is the way I see it. Since I am the reason for your discomfort, I should be the one to help you in your time of need. You have a choice. You can either hop on or...I'll just throw you over my shoulder like a cave man. What's it going to be?" He waited for her response.

"If I remember correctly, doesn't that refer to the cave man throwing his woman over his shoulder so that he could take her into his cave and ravage her? I don't think that is the same thing as this twisted attempt of yours to be chivalrous." She laughed as she stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Well, now that you brought it up..." Logan began looking around. "I could have sworn there was a cave around here somewhere."

"Shut up!" She said as she smacked his arm. She knew that he didn't really mean anything by his remarks. Logan had always excelled in flirting and innuendo. He had it down to a science. "If those are my only options, I'll take the piggy-back ride." She said as she jumped onto his back.

"Alright, Mars, but you don't know what your missing." He sing-songed. He was practically skipping into the school. He couldn't help it; it felt amazing to have her so close. He also figured out that when he swerved and jumped a bit, she would hold onto him tighter, trying to stay on his back.

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When they got into the A/V room, he stopped, but didn't set her down yet. "Man, I forgot what a mess it was in here." He finally let her slide down his back, although, he may have let his hands glide over her butt a little on the way down. 'Hey, I just don't want her to fall.'

He turned to look at her in time to see the blush that had spread across her face and one side of his mouth lifted into a smile. She turned around immediately and tried to direct his attention to the task at hand.

"Well, it shouldn't take that long. You get all of the tapes into that box over there and then throw away all of the notes we made. I'll work on cleaning off the extra clips we downloaded onto Duncan's computer. We can give him his own copy of the final product." She nodded to herself. It was a good plan and wouldn't take long.

They both went to work. It was about 10 minutes later when Logan told her he was going to go put the box of videos in his locker so that he could give them to Duncan when he came to school. When she looked over, she saw him bend down to pick up the box. She licked her lips as she watched the muscles in his back and arms flex with his movements. 'Man, that shirt is definitely an asset to his wardrobe. Of course, I'm not sure that there is a shirt out there that would look bad on him, but that one...definitely a keeper.

He glanced back at her and saw her fanning out her sweater. "Hot?" He thought that it was a little on the cold side in the room.

"Oh, yeah." Veronica breathed out without even thinking about it. Then she realized what was happening and snapped out of it. "Yeah, I don't know why I decided on a sweater today."

If she'd been some other girl, he would have thought he was seeing lust in her eyes, but knew that wasn't it. This was Veronica, she would never think about him that way. They'd been through too much, and he could just kick himself for it all.

When he walked out of the room, she continued her work on Duncan's computer. She noticed an icon that she wasn't sure about. 'Is that something we added during this whole process?' She thought as she clicked on it.

What came up looked like a filing system sorted by date. 'Are these more pictures that we missed?' She thought until she noticed the dates. They spanned from about 3 years back to a week ago. She didn't know what it was, but it obviously wasn't anything that needed to be cleaned up. She was about to close it when she saw a date that would forever haunt her, December 6, 2003. That was the date of Shelly Palmeroy's party.

She clicked on the date out of a fascination for that specific date. She had no idea that she would be accessing Duncan's journal. When she finally realized what she was reading, she started a little and guilt overcame her. Again, she moved to close the file, but stopped. This time it was good old-fashioned curiosity. She knew he was at the party that night. Is it possible that he could have seen something? That she could find a clue to what had happened to her that night?

She began reading very cautiously, looking up at the door so that Logan couldn't sneak up on her again. She read until the entry ended with him signing off to go to the party. Veronica closed the file and proceeded to open the file for the next day.

Logan walked in before she could read much, but she had seen her name and was desperate to find out what was written about her. She told Logan that she was just about done with the computer work and reminded him to clean up the papers that they had left scattered around. When he complied, she went back to the journal.

Tears began to fill her eyes the further she read and a tidal wave of emotion hit her as she neared the end of the entry.

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Logan had been cleaning up the papers and looked over to see how Veronica was doing. Something didn't look right about her. She seemed pale. Then, he noticed what looked like tears welling up in her eyes as she placed her hand over her mouth. She let out a gargled sound and then shot straight up sending the chair she was in flying back as she ran toward the bathroom that was attached to the room.

"Veronica, Veronica are you alright?" He rushed over to the door to hear her puking and sobbing. He had no idea what had happened, but he was scared. He'd not seen her react like this to anything and the last week had been a rough one.

He glanced over to the computer screen expecting to see an especially poignant picture of Lilly. Instead, it just looked like a Word document. He walked over to see what it was that had gotten her so upset. This is what he read:

December 7, 2003

I can't believe what has happened. I can't believe what I've done. I don't know what to do now. I just love her so much. When I saw Veronica laying there in the bed in Shelly's guest room, she looked like an angel. She smiled at me and gave me that look that she gives only to me and she told me how much she missed me. When she pulled me to her, I should've resisted. I knew better, but for some reason I just didn't stop myself. I just completely forgot why it was that I had broken up with her, why I knew that we could never be together. When she kissed me, I knew I was a goner.

Being with her was beautiful and tender and everything that I had hoped it would be. We had always planned on losing our virginity together, but when my dad told me that she was his daughter from an affair with Lianne, I knew we could never be together. But, now, what have I done? I slept with my own sister. It's just so sick. I knew I couldn't tell her why I was breaking up with her because it would tear her family apart. Plus, I didn't want her to go through what I was, knowing that I had kissed and touched my own sister. Now, she can definitely never know. Then she'd have to deal with knowing she'd slept with her own brother. I'm going to have to deal with it every day of my life, every time that I see her. I love her too much to do that to her.

Why did I go to that party? Why did I drink? Why couldn't I resist her and remember that she was my sister, not the love of my life.

What am I going to do? I'll just have to ignore it. We can never talk about it. If she brings it up, I'll just tell her it was a mistake.

Logan was almost hyperventilating at this point. He couldn't believe what he'd read and he had to reread it to make sure that he had understood Duncan's words. Everything was moving in slow motion and he had blocked out everything around him.

"Oh, no. No, no, no! Ronnie." His senses came back to him as he heard her continue to sob in the bathroom. He had not gone in earlier, deciding to give her some space. Now that he knew what had upset her, he couldn't let her deal with this information alone. He had no idea of what she must be going through.

He got up almost as quickly as she had a few moments before and rushed over to the bathroom. He didn't even knock, he just went in.

Veronica was crouched on the floor by the toilet. She was startled when Logan came in and raised her head to see who had opened the door. Her hair was a mess, her face red and soaked from the tears that had been flooding from her eyes. They looked at each other and she saw that he had tears flowing down his face also. She knew that he had read the journal and she was wrought with embarrassment that he knew this awful thing about her.

Logan was on her in an instant. He lifted her easily and placed her in his lap while he held her tightly as she broke down again. He ran his hand over her head and rocked her back and forth while kissing her head between soothing sounds.

She was crying so hard and clinging to him like he was her lifeline while she tried to burrow her body into his as far as she could. She was talking incoherently between sobs, but Logan couldn't make out anything she was saying.

When she had finally exhausted herself and thought that she'd run out of tears, Logan lifted her face to look into her eyes.  
"We need to get out of here before people start showing up for school. Can you walk?" She didn't say anything, she just nodded. As much as she didn't want to move, she knew she wouldn't be able to face anyone today. She clung onto Logan as he helped her up. They left the bathroom, but she stopped walking when they were next to the computer.

He looked down to see what had stopped her. He read her mind. "Don't worry, I've got it." He said as he unplugged it and stuffed it in the case. He grabbed it and her bag and then held her up as he guided her to the parking lot.

He opened his passenger side door and situated her in the seat. When he got into the driver's seat, he put the bags in the back and grabbed a blanket. He placed it on the center console, then guided her to lay down over the padding and lay her head on his leg. She was completely compliant and hadn't said a word since she'd stopped crying which scared him to death.

He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. He moved his hand from the steering wheel and laid it on her arm. He was startled when he felt her fingers on his. He lifted his hand slightly and she threaded her fingers through his and then gently pulled his arm tighter around her as she snuggled further into him.

His heart broke when he looked down at her. She laid there wrapped into his body, clinging to him like a security blanket. Her eyes were closed and he couldn't help, but think she looked like a scared little girl trying to escape the bogey man. He couldn't remember the last time she looked so weak.

He could feel the anger start to boil inside of him, but knew he couldn't go there yet. He didn't know yet what she could handle emotionally. He needed to focus on being her strength.

He pulled into his driveway and parked the SUV. There was no way he was going to let anyone see her like this and he knew that his parents were on some publicity tour and wouldn't be home for a few days. He sat her up gingerly and rested her head against her headrest. He went to her side of the car and opened her door. He didn't even think twice when he reached in and placed an arm under her legs and one behind her back. He lifted her out of the car and carried her into his house and to his bedroom. He placed her in his bed and covered her up.

When he moved to stand, she grabbed his hand and looked at him with pleading eyes. He blinked slowly and gave her a soft smile. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed, wrapping her tightly in his arms. She snuggled into him once again and they fell asleep easily.

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BrokenGravity23: Thank you so much...I know, blame it on the Tillamook Mudslide. It's not my fault.

Kaleena Mason: Hey, keep on rambling! If it means that you loved it, I'm good with it.

2honest4myowngood: Well, I hope you enjoy this update and that I can take at least a little bit of your boredom away. It was good to hear from you...thanks for the great review.

storynerd89: Thank you so much. I'm glad you liked it...I mean really, mis skinny dipping and Logan Echolls, what's not to like:-) Thank you for your rewiew.

Sagebeth: Thank you. I appreciate your demanding attitude. I know that it just means you like it, so thanks and thank you for reviewing.

Miss-Mars: Thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

xosummerxo: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. When I first wrote it, I wasn't sure if people would be upset because I hadn't carried the scene further...but I felt like it would have been rushing things.

09nerLoVer: I always like reading fics where Logan and Veronica's thoughts are explained. Even those fics that just follow canon step-by-step...because then you get to see a little bit of a different perspective than we got with the show.

IluvVM: Thank you so much. You are so great and encouraging. Hope the wait wasn't too long!

RBDFAN: Yeah, really. I mean how could you go wrong with that combo double sighs

VMLoVeR87: Thank you so much. Yeah, I wanted to incorporate the parts of the show where I really think RT hit the nail on the head. I mean, why mess with perfection...and certain scenes are perfection. For example, when Keith questioned Troy about the hotel room. TOO FUNNY!

Literati and naley: Thank you. FYI, as you can see by Ch. 11, it's not ALL cute stuff. There is angst to come. I hope you enjoy it as much as you have the rest of it. Thanks!

HPHGKCroar: Thanks for the review, it was nice hearing from you. You may have to wait a little bit...or you may not. Hmmm...


	12. Chapter 12

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: Just a reminder...I own nothing. Although, Logan is totally on my wish list. You think my hubby will give him to me for our next anniversary?

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Veronica's eyes blinked several times before she squinted them open. The sun shining into the room was bright, but she felt terribly exhausted. She knew she had to get out of bed. She had to get to school early to help Logan clean up the A/V room. 'Didn't my alarm go off?' Veronica lifted her head to look at the alarm clock on her headboard. 'What the? What's going on?' Veronica thought as she looked up at the clock that wasn't there and at a headboard that wasn't hers. 'Where am I?'

She froze when she heard a deep, throaty moan and felt strong arms tighten around her. She turned around slowly and saw Logan asleep beside her.

Seeing him reminded her of exactly why she was there. Although, she remembered meeting Logan this morning, cleaning up the A/V room and then finding that horrible journal entry on Duncan's laptop; she didn't remember how she got to Logan's house and in his bed. In fact, she didn't remember much after reading the confession that had shaken her to the core.

As she looked at Logan sleeping so peacefully and holding her so securely; she wanted to let herself melt into him. She couldn't, though.

'This is Logan Echolls,' she reminded herself, 'and now he knows that I slept with my brother.'

Logan opened his eyes and looked at her just as a single tear escaped. His heart ached for the pain that she was in and he reached up and wiped the tear away.

Staring at a now fully awake Logan, despair filled Veronica. She felt so ashamed that she had to look away from him. 'Why didn't I leave before he woke up. This is so humiliating. I just want to find a rock, climb under it and never come out again.' She was hoping that maybe if they laid there long enough, he would just drift back to sleep and she could sneak out.

"Veronica?" Logan said gently like he was trying to calm a scared child, which in so many ways, is exactly what she was.

'Right, Veronica. Because when did anything ever go your way?' She chastised herself.

"I need to use the restroom." Veronica whispered as she sat up and got off the bed. She had no idea why she was being so formal. Usually she would have said something like, 'I've gotta go to the bathroom.' She just couldn't relax at all with this new information. She knew that the only reason she had fallen asleep earlier was because she had exhausted herself.

When she shut Logan's bathroom door behind her, she was finally able to breathe. She felt like she hadn't really breathed since Logan opened his eyes. She sat down on the tub edge and tried to figure out what her next step was. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hold it together if she let herself think of everything she had discovered. She didn't want Logan to see her like that. In fact, she didn't really want Logan to see her at all.

She had not wanted anyone to know about her personal pain when she thought she'd been raped, especially after Lamb laughed in her face. Now, though, she'd broadcast it on the evening news if she could ensure that no one, including Logan, knew about this new twist of events.

By this point, her skin was crawling. She just couldn't get comfortable. She felt dirty and messy and her clothes felt like they were clinging to her body in a choking manner.

Suddenly she began stripping down. She just needed to rid herself of the feeling of hands all over her body. She got into Logan's shower quickly and started scrubbing away at her skin. She had the water so hot that the oversized bathroom steamed up in a matter of minutes. Her skin was red from the temperature of the water and the harsh scrubbing.

Although she wished she was home alone, she was glad that she was somewhere that would allow her to have a long, steaming hot shower. After she had scrubbed what she was sure were a couple of layers of skin off, she just sat in the bottom of the tub while the shower rained down on her. She was finally beginning to feel a little more comfortable in her own skin.

When she finally got out and dried off, she picked up her clothes to put them back on, but she couldn't. Just touching her clothes made her feel gross. They were too constricting, too revealing. She felt like if she wore them, everyone would be able to see what she'd done. She put them in the trash and then walked into Logan's closet, which was connected to his bathroom.

She put on some sweats that were huge on her, but she felt like she was wrapped in a big blanket that no one could see under. When she went back into the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror. She decided that she looked like a drowned rat. She had baggy clothes, wet stringy hair and her face and her hands were still red from the abuse of the shower.

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Logan had been sitting on his bed since her hasty retreat. He was so worried about her, but had no idea of what to do to make it better. He wished he could just make it go away, but he knew he couldn't. He felt so useless.

He thought about calling for take-out, but didn't want to leave the room long enough to go to the front door when it arrived. He wanted to be as close to her as he could; the need to protect her was overwhelming.

When her phone rang, he didn't even think when he answered it.

"Hello?" Logan said.

"Hello? Uh, yeah. I'm calling for Veronica. Is this her phone?" The boy sounded confused.  
"Yeah, but she's busy right now. Can I give her a message?" Logan knew that Veronica wouldn't want to talk to anyone right then; and unless it was life or death, he wasn't about to tell her she had a phone call.

"Who is this?"

"Logan. Who's this?" He was getting irritated now. He wasn't in any mood to play around and waste time.

"This is Troy. What are you doing with Veronica's phone?" He sounded a little defensive and it pissed Logan off. 'He thinks he's protecting Veronica from the big bad Logan Echolls. Well, golly for him,' Logan thought sarcastically.

"We had to wrap up some stuff from Lilly's video. She's in the bathroom right now. I'll let her know you called." Logan said with a possessive aire.

As he lowered the phone, he heard Troy's mumbled, "Yeah, right."

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When Veronica carefully stepped out of the bathroom, Logan jumped up. He was mildly shocked that she was wearing his clothes, but he was glad. It felt like he'd been able to do something for her, provide her with something. She looked tiny in his over-sized clothes and had it been any other situation, he would have laughed at the sight.

Her head was down and he wished she would look up at him. He needed to look into her eyes and know that she was okay. Since she didn't seem to want to do that or to even say anything, he figured he should just ask her.

"You doing okay?" He asked as carefully as he could. He didn't know what the right words were, or how to speak to her without upsetting her.

"Logan," she started out quietly and with a raspy voice from all of the crying she'd done.

She cleared her throat, but still spoke just as softly. "I-" she stopped and he could see the frown and confusion on her face even from the angle he had.

"Look, you have information now. Information that you can use however you want. I just wanted to remind you that this can hurt Duncan, too."

He was staring at her trying to understand what she was even talking about.

"Information? Use however I want?" He was speaking out loud, but not to Veronica. He was just trying to decipher the code she was speaking. Then it hit him.

"You think I'm going to use this to hurt you?" Wow, talk about a direct hit. Logan was stunned.  
"I don't know what you're going to do. I'd appreciate your discretion, but I doubt you're really looking for my appreciation. So, all I can ask is that you consider your best friend before saying anything about this."

He stood dumbfounded, unable to move. 'Appreciation? She thinks I am a total monster.'

After a moment of silence, he watched as she nodded her head, satisfied that she'd made her point.

"I need to get home, I'll return your clothes to you as soon as possible." Veronica said as she made her way to the bedroom door.

"Wait, I drove you here, Veronica." He was finally able to speak and he had regained control of his limbs. He strode after her.

"It's fine, I'll walk." Veronica needed to get away from him.

"Veronica, No...STOP!" He finally yelled. When she jumped a little, he mentally kicked himself for yelling at her.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I just needed you to stop and talk to me." When he got in front of her, he was agitated that he couldn't see her face. Then he realized that she had still not looked at him once since emerging from the bathroom. When he tried to lift her chin with his hand, she moved away from his touch. It was like a rush of cold wind hit him.

All he'd wanted to do for the last week was to have some sort of contact with her. Now especially, when she needed someone so badly, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let anyone touch her ever again. Unfortunately, she had gone from clinging to him like her life depended on it to pushing him away and not even looking at him.

"Why won't you look at me?" He waited for her response, but it never came.

"Veronica, why won't you look at me? Tell me."

"I can't," she finally whispered.

"What do you mean you can't?" Again, it seemed like he was totally lost in this two-person conversation. After some hesitation, she finally spoke up again.

"I can't because..." she stopped. He watched as she opened and closed her mouth several times before continuing. "I don't have the strength to see the look on your face."

"What look? Please, Ronnie, I don't know what you're talking about." He was pleading with her to make sense.

"The look you're giving me, knowing what I've done." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was truly broken right now and he had to fix her.  
"Veronica." He said sternly. "Veronica, look at me."

"No please, Logan. Don't make me do this, I can't." He could tell she was on the verge of tears when she added, "I'm so ashamed."

"That's it, Veronica. You look at me right now." He was incensed and he grabbed her chin and raised her face to look at his. "You have no reason to be ashamed. This is not your fault! You didn't know he was your brother, you thought you'd been raped." Her eyes widened when he said 'raped,' but he continued. "You don't actually know that it's true, anyway. Veronica, don't just assume that this is right. How do we know that this isn't some mistake. Maybe Jake just told Duncan that because Celeste didn't want you to date him. Maybe Jake does think you're his daughter, but you're not. Don't just take this lying down and accept it as fact. That's not the Veronica Mars I know. Come on, Ms. P.I. What would you do if someone hired you for a case like this?"

He could see the wheels turning in her head. He almost had her.

"I guess I'd tell them to get a paternity test." She didn't sound very convinced, but at least she was talking to him.

"Yeah, exactly. So, let's do it. Where do we start?" He asked, happy to get started on a tangible mission. This was something that they could take action on and he was hoping it would be a sufficient distraction.

She looked at him with an odd expression on her face. "We? You don't have to do anything. I know that we're not friends, Logan, and I'm not expecting anything from you. This isn't your problem."

"Argh, why not, Veronica?" He really had to control his emotions now. "Look, I know I've been the biggest ass to you, but please don't shut me out now. I thought things were getting better between us and I don't want that to change."

"I am so sorry for everything that has happened this last year. I don't even know where to begin. All I know is that everything that I thought I was mad about, just doesn't seem to matter anymore. What matters is that you were one of my best friends. I lost you when I lost Lilly. I don't want that again. Look, I'm laying it out for you. I. Am. Sorry. I need you to know that I would never tell anyone about this. I would never and I will never use this to hurt you. I promise you."

"I've had a little reminder this last week of what we had. It's been a major wake up call. The thought of losing that, of losing you again is killing me. Please, you've got to believe me. I don't want to hurt you anymore." He was begging her with his words and his body language.

"Uh..." Veronica didn't know what to say. She was dumbfounded by his admission. Could she trust him after everything?

"Look, you can make me pay for what I've done every single day for the rest of our lives, just as long as we're friends again, okay?" He waited for her answer.

"What the heck? At this point, there really isn't much I could lose. You already have enough ammunition to destroy me if you wanted. There's no harm in seeing if you're telling the truth." She shrugged.

"Well, I can't say that I'm overwhelmed by your confidence in my sincerity, but that's okay. I can live with it and I'll prove it to you in time."

"So, back to this paternity thing. I guess the easiest way to go about this would be to get a sample of mine and my dad's hair and send it for testing. There's information for a DNA testing place my dad uses at the office and then we can go to my house to collect a sample of his hair."

"Let's go, then." Logan ushered her out to his car.

When they were driving to Mars Investigations, Logan had a thought. "Won't your dad think it's a little weird seeing you in my clothes. I don't want to get shot or anything." He smirked.

She had to admit that it was nice to have a little bit of normalcy in their conversation. "No, don't worry. He's in New Mexico chasing a bail jumper for the next couple of days."

"What!" Logan looked at her like she'd grown two heads.

"What, what?" She had no idea what had him so riled.

"You're dad's gone? Where are you going to stay?" He had grown very serious.

"Um, at home. What's the problem, Logan? I do it all the time, I am old enough to stay by myself, you know." She was chuckling a little at him.

"No way. No way you're staying there by yourself. Either you stay at my house or I'll stay at yours. There is no way I'm leaving you alone." He was deadly serious. She had really scared him with the way she had reacted to the news that morning. Not that he blamed her, he didn't know what he would've done if he'd found out that Lilly was his sister. He shuddered slightly at the thought.

"Logan, it's fine, really."

"Veronica, it's not up for discussion. Whether we talk about it or not, you have had a rough day and I won't leave you to deal with it alone." She might be fine right now, but Logan knew how it was when you were left alone with your thoughts for too long. That's how he ended up in the emotional state he was in when he was "drunk" with Veronica.

She just shook her head and figured she could fight with him about it later. She still didn't have the energy to fight right now. The fact that she wasn't curled up in bed at that moment was a shock to her.

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They made the rounds and picked up everything they needed from the office and her apartment. When they were there, they put the hair samples in the envelope and decided that they would go to the post office so they could get it into the mail as soon as possible.  
"Are we going to school tomorrow?" Logan asked her as she was filling out the address information on the package.

"Well, I don't know what WE are doing." She shot him a look, "I need to go to school, especially since I missed today. I just don't think I can face Duncan right now."

"Well, WE will deal with it, but if WE are going to school then you need to pack some school clothes. As good as you look in my clothes, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go to school in them." He winked at her and smiled.

"Why would I need to pack my school clothes? And, why would I be going to school in your clothes?"

"Well, when you wake up at my house tomorrow, you're going to need something to wear. Unless you want to try your hand at what's in Trina's closet?" She shook her head. "No? Well, then you'd better pack."

"Logan, I never said that I was going to stay with you. Plus, I have to take care of Backup."

"Yeah, and you never said that you weren't going to stay with me, either. There is much more room at my house. If I stay here, I'd have to sleep on the couch or in your dad's bed, which isn't happening by the way. At my house, you have 3 different rooms you can choose from, depending on which decor suits your fancy. And, you can bring the mutt along, I don't bite."

"My, my. I forgot what it was like to hang out with the rich and famous. I knew you were good for something." She smirked at him. 'He wants to play it like that, then we'll play. Bring it on.'

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and get a move on. We didn't have lunch and I'm starving. We can grab some take out after we hit the post office. Then, we'll go home and watch a movie." Logan said as he pushed her by the small of her back toward her room. "And remember to bring something to sleep in. I'd hate for you to have nothing to wear to bed." He waggled his eyebrows at her and laughed.

She just rolled her eyes at him as she proceeded toward her bedroom to pack. They were on their way within 20 minutes. They got everything done and arrived at his house just in time for dinner.

"Finally, we're home! First order of business is to eat." Logan hadn't eaten anything the entire day. Between getting up early to see her and them sleeping through lunch, he was starving.

"What?" She had a weird look on her face and he was wondering what she was thinking.

"Nothing, let's get going. I wouldn't want to lose you to starvation after all of this. I'm just going to set up Backup's stuff before we go upstairs." She wasn't going to tell him that she thought it was sweet that it was the second time he had referred to "home," instead of saying "my house." It made her feel warm and like she was a real part of his life. She blushed at her foolishness. She knew she was being a total girl and reading too much into simple words.

They decided to eat while they watched a movie in his room. Neither of them said it, but there was just something more comfortable about being in the safety of his bedroom versus a massive-sized den or their family theater.

Logan kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. Although she had told him what she wanted to eat, she had barely touched her food.

"Hey, you okay? You've barely eaten a thing." Concern was etched across his face.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Been a long day, you know?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should let you get to bed. Look, all of the guest rooms are ready so just pick your pleasure." Logan didn't want her to go to bed, but he knew she was exhausted. It was just selfish of him to try to keep her up so that he could spend more time with her.

"Actually, I was thinking maybe I'd just sleep right here, if that's okay with you?" She said as she patted her spot on the floor. She may have planned to be home alone tonight, but she was glad Logan made her come home with him. She didn't want to be alone tonight and she definitely didn't want to wake up in one of the guest rooms.

"What? Not on my floor, right?" Logan knew he wasn't understanding her. It didn't make any sense.

"Yeah, I mean I just don't feel like waking up alone in a guest room somewhere." She hesitated, "It's stupid, I'm sorry. I'll go get settled in one of the rooms." She started to get up. She was totally embarrassed. 'Of course he would want his privacy. Why did I even suggest it?'

"Wait!" Logan shot up from the floor and stopped her. He panicked, thinking that she thought he didn't want her there.

"Hey, you can stay in here. But, you're not sleeping on the floor, Veronica. You can sleep in my bed. It's a king so there's plenty of room. Plus, we've already slept together and I didn't take advantage of you then, did I?" He was joking, but he realized what he had said. "Oh, Veronica. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to joke about that. I..."

"It's okay, Logan. I'm okay." Veronica knew he didn't mean anything by it, he was just trying to lighten the situation. She walked up to him real serious and looked into his eyes as she spoke softly, "I'm okay, Logan..." then she spoke louder and faster, "but I call the right side." She spun around and ran into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

He just laughed. He figured that if she was going to be sleeping in his bed, she could choose whatever side she wanted.

When she came out of the bathroom, he started rethinking this great plan. She was dressed in a tank top and sleep shorts. He passed by her quickly to go to the bathroom to get ready. He just hoped that she was in bed and covered by the time he came back out.

When he walked out of the bathroom, all of the lights had been turned off and the room was lit by the movie still playing on the t.v. Luckily, Veronica was snuggled safely in bed and fully covered. She was still awake, but she looked like she was really comfortable and ready to fall asleep. He was just starting to relax when he passed by the night stand...which had her neatly folded bra sitting on it.

"Oh, geez," he groaned. This was going to be a long, hard night.

"What's wrong?" She began to lean up on her elbows and Logan looked away.

"Nothing, nothing. I just remembered I had some homework I forgot to do. Oh, well. It's not like I do a bunch of that anyway." He was hoping she would buy his story.

"Yeah, it must be nice to be Neptune's own 'Golden Boy.'" She giggled.

He got into his side of the bed and was very happy that it was so big. If he could stay on his side, he'd be fine...eventually. He was laying on his back with his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. 'If I can just think of anything else, I'll be able to get some sleep.' That was until Veronica moved over to him.

She wrapped her arm around him in a tight hug, "Logan, I just wanted to say thank you...for everything. You seem to be right there when I need you the most. Thank you." She lifted her head to kiss him on the cheek at the same time that he turned his to kiss her head.

Their lips met just briefly, but the touch was electric. They pulled back quickly and looked at each other with wide eyes. All of the sudden, they broke into giggles.

"Well, that wasn't awkward or anything." Veronica said.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. I was going for your head." Logan replied sheepishly.

"I was going for the cheek." She smiled at him. If the lights had been on, they would have seen the blush that had colored both of their faces. She began to roll away, but was stopped when his arms wrapped around her.

He knew he was just torturing himself, but when she started to roll away, he automatically moved to stop her. He wanted her close. When she snuggled back into him and let out a contented sigh, he knew she was okay with it.

They fell asleep happy to be safely wrapped in each other's arms. He wanted nothing more than to have her close and keep her protected. She wanted nothing more at that moment, than the safety and comfort of his presence.

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Miss-Mars: Why thank you. Let's wait until the next chapter before you start asking about Duncan. Next chapter will keep us busy for a bit.

LoVeElle: I love that you had a run of emotion while reading the chapter. Thanks! Still lots more to come.

Alkyndria: Yeah, see I refuse to go through withdrawals. If I just stay in the fic world, I will never have to face the fact that the CW took away my VM. In Denial

SaraLyleth: Well, if you didn't see that happening, wait until you see next chapter. :-) Thanks for your great review.

dzimmermann87: my suggestion...definitely get at least S1 on dvd. It's not too expensive right now since it's older...and it's the best way to really experience it from the beginning. Plus, S1 is so great, you'll probably want to watch it over and over and have your own personal copy and be able to stare at the pics of JD and rub the box for comfort...or is that just me? Er...forget I said anything. Anyway...thanks...its great to hear from you.

IluvVM: Thank you so much, I hope you enjoyed this twist.

Sagebeth: Whew! blushing Thanks!

Literati and naley: Well, Logan is a sweetheart. He can't help himself. :-)

xosummerxo: This ch should have answered you questions...I think.

Lorelei Candice Black: Well? Was it worth the wait?

AJzkitten69: Thank you and welcome to the club!

Kaleena Mason: It makes me so happy to make you cry...seriously. I'm glad that the story touches your emotions. Thx!

RBDFAN: Thanks! So, is it just me, or does Logan remind you of Superman or some other superhero? I don't know, what hero is always there when you need him, but his presence just makes you want to be naked? Hmmm...


	13. Chapter 13

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 13

A/N: Hold onto your mittens, kittens! Things are about to pick up.

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"Hmmm. Mmhmm. Ronnie," Logan moaned in his sleep.

Roused from her sleep by the sound of her name, Veronica shifted a bit. She opened her eyes and could see that the sun was rising outside the window. She could feel Logan spooned up behind her. She couldn't believe how comfortable she was, physically and emotionally. She never wanted to leave the tranquility of the moment.

Wanting to be closer to his warmth, she snuggled further into him and closed her eyes again. She felt Logan's arm tighten around her waist and she relaxed even more, until she felt his pelvis pressing into her and heard the groan that passed through his lips.

Veronica was instantly awake and more conscious of Logan's body than she had ever been. There was the obvious sign of his early morning arousal, but her awareness didn't stop there. She could feel his steady breathing into her hair and the solidity of his chest pressed firm against her back. His bicept cushioned her head and his other arm was nestled under her arm, leading to his hand that lay flat across her stomach, with just his pinky and ring finger in contact with the bare skin between her tank top and shorts. Her bottom leg was straight and her top leg was angled, while his top leg was nestled on top of her bottom leg and behind her top leg. She was amazed that his large frame was draped over her much smaller one and she didn't feel claustrophobic.

She did, however, feel very self-conscience. Oh, how every part of her was filled with desire. She thought about how ironic it all was. Here he was trying to be a friend to her and comfort her when she felt that she'd been taken advantage of while unconscious. She, on the other hand, while he slept, was thinking of all the things she'd like to do to him. She would have laughed if she thought it wouldn't wake him.

Logan began to move. His hand stroked her stomach, his other arm unfolded and wrapped around her body hugging her close. She could feel his pelvis moving behind her again and she had to stop herself from getting into a more accessible position. 

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"Mmmm." Logan couldn't be happier. He was in a much better mood than he had been when he woke on Monday. He had Veronica safely tucked into him and his arms were around her. He could smell her shampoo, feel the skin of her stomach, their legs were tangled together and her sweet little butt was...

"Whoa!" Logan said as he flew backwards and settled on his back.

Veronica jumped and turned her body to see if he was okay, but he suddenly sat straight up and brought his knees up to meet his elbows. He was breathing heavier than normal.

"I'm sorry, Logan. Did I scare you? You forgot I was here, didn't you? Are you okay?" Veronica was trying to soothe him, while masking the disappointment she felt at the loss of contact. It hurt knowing that when he discovered her in his bed, he couldn't move away from her fast enough.

"No, uh, yeah, I-I'm fine. I'm gonna go to the bathroom and clean up a little. Then we need to get ready for school." He was already walking toward the bathroom, but added "we're still going, right?"

"Yeah," she replied half-heartedly.

It was still early and she wasn't sure why Logan was in such a hurry to start his day. She had never taken him for a morning person. She figured that since it was early and she couldn't do anything to get ready until the bathroom was free, she might as well snuggle back in for as long as she could.

She reached the inches over to where Logan had been laying and it felt so warm that she scooted herself over to his spot. Laying her head on the pillow he had used allowed her to inhale the smell that was Logan. She didn't know if it was the hair product he used, cologne, his natural smell or all of the above, but what ever it was she loved it. She giggled to herself as she thought about a campaign to bottle the smell and how she could advertise it; although, she was pretty sure it wouldn't take much advertising. She knew that once people smelled it, word-of-mouth would easily take over.

She laid on her stomach and wrapped both of her arms around the pillow to draw it into her. Her chest was laying on it and her face was pressed into it as she inhaled deeply, hoping to embed that fragrance into her senses.

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"Hey, you okay?" Logan had come out of the bathroom and seen her face down in his pillow. He thought she might be crying.

Veronica's head shot up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She was sure she was blushing and wanted to escape to the bathroom to cover it. She jumped out of bed and passed by Logan with her head down. "I'll just go get ready now that the bathroom is free."

Logan froze and didn't say anything while he tried to recover from seeing her in her tank top and shorts without a bra.

"Come on, God. I am trying to be a good, here." Logan started to get dressed.

'She will run scared if she figures out that I have feelings for her. It'll ruin our run at a new friendship.'

'Wait a minute, did I just say that I have feelings for Veronica? Do I really? Ah, crap. I do. I thought that maybe I was wanting to protect her from any more danger or feeling guilty for how I've treated a great friend. Nope, I am crazy about her. How in the world did this happen? When did this happen? Where was I when all this happened? More importantly, how am I going to deal with it?'

Logan knew that he had gotten lucky when she agreed to try to be friends with him again. Anything more than friends would be a miracle. Not only that, but she would never go for him. Sure, it gave him a little hope that she had admitted to having had a crush on him at one time, but that was a long time ago. She had gone out with Duncan, class President, future U.S. Presidential Candidate. Granted he may be her brother, but she had loved him and the innocence that they shared.

Now she was dating Troy and he was almost as squeaky clean as Duncan was, if that was possible. He knew that given an option, she would never choose to date him. He was messy and emotional and got into trouble almost as often as he changed his underwear. Even if she could get past all of that, the fact still remained that her dead best friend had been his first love and had introduced him to the world of sex.

Yeah, he had a snowball's chance in Hell. 'Man, I woke up in such a good mood and now all I want to do is crawl back in bed and avoid the world. Unfortunately, Veronica is set on going to school and I can't let her face Duncan alone. Not yet.' 

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Veronica walked out of the bathroom and she looked great in her low-rise jeans, vintage t-shirt and cropped jacket. She had a belt with a large belt buckle and had donned her kick-ass boots.

"I thought maybe we could grab some breakfast before school since we seem to be ready so early." Veronica suggested as she walked into the room.

"Sounds great. Let's go."

At breakfast, Veronica had suggested that Logan drop her off a block from the school. Although he wasn't happy about it, he finally relented. She had told him that she didn't mind being seen with him, but really wanted to avoid anymore rumors about her virtue right now.

Although he agreed, he planned to make an extra effort to keep her in his sights as much as possible. He wanted to protect her and he was going to have trouble doing that when they couldn't be around each other at school. If it were up to him, he'd be glued to her side all day. She'd be lucky to get a minute to go to the bathroom by herself. Even then, he'd station himself outside the door.

The day had gone as well as it could. Logan was looking forward to lunch. He would be able to watch Veronica the entire time, then they'd be in Journalism together where he could act as a buffer between her and Duncan. He was just ready to take her back home and keep her in the cocoon he'd created for them. Movies, food and bed sounded like the perfect life, at least for the time being.

Logan walked into the quad and headed for his lunch table filled with 09ers. He sat where he could easily face Veronica's table without anyone being suspicious.  
"Logan, Dude, are you going to give us the details of your hot little blonde?" Dick was obnoxiously loud and he now had Logan's full attention.

"What are you talking about?" Logan couldn't figure out how Dick had found out about Veronica.

"You know, yesterday morning. The word is that you left here before school started and...that you had a hot blonde laying in your lap. Dude, you get all the action. So, give it up. Who was she?" Dick was leaning forward awaiting the juicy piece of information.

"Shut up, Dick. You know better than to believe the rumors around here." It didn't matter that Dick and everyone else had believed the rumors he'd spread about Veronica.

"Yeah? Well then where were you yesterday? You weren't in school." Dick was really pushing it now. Logan kept telling himself to keep cool. What he really wanted to do was knock Dick's butt on the ground and tell him to shut the heck up.

"I had other things to tend to." Logan didn't care what rumors were spread about him. He'd spent his entire life having truth and rumors about him splashed all over the tabloids. It's not like it was the first time his sexual exploits were fodder for Neptune High's rumor mill. He just had to keep Veronica's name out of it. Normally she would have no problem dealing with all the rumors, she had hardened herself against it all. She was dealing with too much right now and he didn't know how much more she could take.

"Yeah, Man. Go for it!" Dick was laughing and then kept talking with the rest of the group, but Logan was tuning him out now.

Dick's comments had made Logan lose his focus. He looked back over to her table expecting to see her, but when he didn't, he started to get concerned. He frantically scanned the quad with his eyes.

When he finally spotted her, his heart broke a little. 'Why do I keep forgetting about Troy. Of course, she's with Troy again. She's dating him, Logan. Get it through your head.' He really didn't want to think about where they were going. He just saw the back of them as they were walking away. Troy had his arm wrapped tightly around her and she was looking him in the face. He couldn't see her facial expression, but he knew that she probably had that cute little glint in her eyes and that beautiful smile was gracing her lips.

He was so jealous, he could barely sit still. He stood up hastily and began to walk in the direction they had gone. Somewhere in his consciousness, he heard his friends questioning his actions, but he didn't care. When he turned the corner of the building, he didn't see any signs of them. He began to go looking for them, but then stopped suddenly.

'What am I gonna say when I find them? Oh, I was just walking behind the school for no reason and with no one and just happened to run into you?' He rolled his eyes and then his hands tightened into a fist. 'What if I walked up on them making out? I don't think I could handle watching her kiss him and seeing his hands on her. Yeah, I'll just see her later.' He turned around and headed back into the school.

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Veronica walked into the quad at lunch and was hoping to see Logan on her way to her table. Normally she would be trying to avoid the 09er table at all costs, but today she was planning to sit facing their table. She just wanted to be able to look up and see Logan whenever she wanted. They had spent so much time together in the last week, not to mention the straight 24 hours that he hadn't left her side except for bathroom breaks.

She knew it was unreasonable that she had grown too attached to him and his support in such a short amount of time. She craved his strength and she should have been ashamed of herself for being so weak. When she saw him, he was turned away from her talking to Dick. She could see enough of his profile and his body language to know that he was irritated, although Dick was laughing loudly. She wondered briefly what had upset him, until she felt a hand wrap around her arm. She jumped and turned to see Troy looking back at her.

"Oh, hey Troy. I was just looking for you." She smiled up at him. Sure she was lying, but she hadn't seen him since Homecoming. She hadn't even given him a second thought after he'd dropped her off after the dance. She couldn't really tell him that she had been seeking out someone else.

"What's wrong?" She saw the angry look in his eyes and it unnerved her. She had never seen Troy anything, but playful and mischievous.

"Where were you yesterday?" He asked her.

"Uh, um, I didn't feel well," she stuttered. 'That's the understatement of the year.'

"Did something happen?" She asked him as he wrapped his other and around her back to grip her other arm and led her away from the quad.

"You tell me, Veronica." She was looking up at him, confusion written all over her face. "What do you mean?" It seemed that he was angry with her, but she had no idea why. With the look on his face, the tone of his voice and the tight grip he now had on her arms, she was really nervous now.

"What do I mean, Veronica?" Troy said with an attitude that she couldn't quite place.

"See, normally I don't pay much attention to the rumors around this place." Troy's voice was eerily quiet and it gave Veronica chills. They had walked around the building and she didn't see anyone else around.

"You see, I was concerned about you yesterday when you weren't in school. Then, I heard this stupid rumor about Logan driving off before school with some blonde girl's head in his lap." Veronica's eyes widened, but Troy continued like he hadn't seen her reaction. "Now, why would I care about Logan's sex life. I don't, right?" He waited a moment before continuing.

"That is, of course, until I see that your car in the parking lot. The real clincher, though, is when I call your cell...AND HE ANSWERS." His grip has gotten excruciatingly painful now and he is shaking with fury.  
Veronica knew that she wasn't in a good situation. She had not expected this at all and had not guarded herself with him. She'd let him walk her away from the other students because she didn't know what had upset him. Then, she was in shock when she figured out he was mad at her. By that time, they had already been well on their way to the secluded area they were in.

Luckily, she always had her taser with her, but she didn't want to shock him over a big misunderstanding. If she just told him what happened, minus the detail of incest, then she was sure she could get him to calm down. She would remind him that she had not felt well and when people saw her lay down in the seat, it was not foreplay.

"Look, Troy, you don't understand. It's not like that. Logan was just..." and that was all she got out before she felt the blow across her right cheek.

Veronica has heard about people blacking out when served an especially hard blow. She wishes she had fallen into the darkness and been able to sleep through the pain. Instead, she saw white. Her vision actually whited out. It reminded her of when you record a video where the subject you're recording is in front of a brightly lit background and the entire screen turns white.

The hit was completely unexpected and had knocked her to the ground. She had a second to realize that Troy wasn't done yet and she wasn't sure what he was going to do next. He was coming at her so she rolled to her side and into a ball to try to protect herself.

"I should have listened to everyone who told me what a slut you were." He yelled at her and then  
kicked her butt, literally. When she reached around to grab the sore area, he grabbed her roughly by her hips and lifted her as easily as he would have a doll. She tried to grab his shoulders and push him away from her. His only response to her was when he looked into her eyes and spoke to her in a calm matter-of-fact manner.

"Of course, Logan was the one who warned me the most. I guess he really knew what he was talking about, huh?" When he finished his sentence, he pulled her to him roughly and smashed his lips to hers. When the kiss ended, he flung her backwards as hard as he could and she hit the wall behind her, sliding to the ground.

Veronica was shaking and had tears in her eyes as she watched him straighten his clothes and walk away.

"I'll be seeing you around, Veronica." Troy said lightly as he left.

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09nerLoVer: Thank you so much. Yes, he really is a protector.

2honest4myowngood: I whole-heartedly agree. Without fanfic, I would be lost. Frankly, if the CW has a problem with VM and my Logan, the can just evaporate or something!

Kaleena Mason: Well, how were those ups and downs? Thank you so much.

IluvVM: Thank you. This one wasn't quite as funny, huh? Hopefully you enjoyed it though.

xosummerxo: oops, no answers on Duncan yet. Troy, on the other hand...we should totally kill him...jerk!

Lorelei Candice Black: Well, not what I'd call a traditional breakup, but we'll assume that's the case, huh?

Sagebeth: You're right! In his defense, how was he supposed to know Troy was a massive...

SaraLyleth: The original first kiss was AWESOME!!!!!! It really could have come off as overdone...the guy spins the girl around and his lips come crashing down on hers...etc, etc, etc. Only JD and KB totally pulled it off. I have watched that specific scene probably 200 times (unfortunately, I'm not over-exaggerating). My stomach still does flip-flops when I see it!

Miss-Mars: Totally makes sense. I usually have to go back a chapter to figure out which story I'm reading before I can advance to the update.

corruptedchic: Thank you and I agree, agree, agree and agree. S1 is my ultimate, but I like pre-series, too. There are just so many options for where the story can go. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too.

RBDFAN: hee hee hee, thanks!


	14. Chapter 14

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 14

A/N: You guys are awesome reviewers! Thanks a lot!

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Veronica's mind was racing. She couldn't grasp what had just happened. All she knew is that she had to get out of there. She wanted to make sure that Troy didn't change his mind and come back for her.

She slowly got on her hands and knees from her sitting position. She looped her bag strap diagonally around her body. Then, she held onto the wall with one hand and pushed off the ground with the other. Her legs were shaking violently as she stood and her entire body screamed out in pain. Tears began to fall from her eyes, but she quickly sniffed and wiped them away. She knew she didn't have time to fall apart. She had to get to safety.

Where Troy had taken her was close enough to the parking lot that she knew getting to her car would be the quickest way to get away from Troy.

She moved as quickly as she could, which was not fast, grasping the wall for support until she reached the edge of the building. From where she was, she could see her car. It was still parked in the spot it had been Monday morning when she arrived at school early.

'Good thing it's close to the building. If it were very far away, I don't know if I could make it.'

Veronica looked around to see if anyone was around. She didn't want to find herself face to face with Troy on her way to her car. She had heard the bell ring, ending lunch about 5 minutes earlier. Most of the students were already in the school and headed to their 4th period classes.

Veronica paused for a minute when she thought of 4th period Journalism. Logan would be there. She knew he would be wondering where she was, but she was too afraid to stay around.

'First things first, Veronica. Get away.' She stiffened up, took a deep breath and prepared herself for the walk to her car.

It took every bit of strength she had to stay upright, but she finally reached her driver-side door. She opened her door to get in, but briefly looked around inside the car to confirm that she was alone. She felt her phone vibrating, but didn't want to stop to answer it.

She slowly sat down in her seat, but screwed her eyes shut and quickly shifted her weight when she sat on the spot where Troy had kicked her. She had to fight back the tears again when she felt them rising behind her shut lids.  
She turned the key and could feel a throbbing pain where Troy had dug his fingers into her arm. When she put the car in drive and it began to roll toward the entrance, she let out a huge breath. She just had to make it home now.

Veronica tried to find a comfortable position the entire drive home, but wasn't successful. Every time she moved to alleviate the pain in one spot, she would end up putting pressure on another injury. When she finally pulled into her parking spot in front of the apartment complex, she moved to get out of her car. Standing proved to be a challenge, and walking a test of her will. The car ride, although uncomfortable, had begun to rest her sore body. Moving it only made it scream back at her.

She made it to her apartment, unlocked the door with shaky hands and entered. She shut and locked the door behind her as she surveyed the apartment. There were so many things she wanted to do. She wanted to get some ice out of the freezer and pain killers from the medicine cabinet. She wanted to remove her clothes and take a long bath. She wanted to figure out what she was going to do about all of this. She didn't do any of that. All she could manage was to walk to the couch and flop herself onto her stomach. She knew her mistake when she let her head hit the couch and felt the throbbing on her right cheek. She turned her head and laid the left side of her face down, then she burst into uncontrollable sobbing. She doesn't remember passing out, but that's exactly what happened. She finally saw black.

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Logan was sitting in Journalism waiting for Veronica to arrive. When she wasn't there several minutes into class, he wasn't sure whether to worry or be insanely jealous.

'Maybe she just wasn't ready to face Duncan yet. She would have told me though, right?' He pulled out his phone and glanced at it to see if he'd missed any calls or received any text messages. There were none. He discreetly texted her asking, 'Whr r u'. Ten minutes had gone by and Logan was dying inside.

'She must be with Troy still. Uh, I hate him. He doesn't deserve her. I should have told her how I felt when I had the chance. She wouldn't sleep with him now though, not with everything that she's found out in the last 36 hours.'

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt someone staring at him. He looked around the classroom to see who it was, but no one was looking at him. He shrugged it off until he looked out the window on the door to the class room.

What Logan saw confused him. Troy was standing there, leaning against the wall, staring at Logan. When Troy was sure he had Logan's full attention, he stood from the wall, a small smile gracing his lips and winked at him. Then, he turned and walked away.

'What the heck was that all about? That guy's a freak, why does Veronica even like him anyway? Wait, Veronica. If Troy is in the hall, where is Veronica?' Logan jumped up from his chair, grabbed his books and walked from the class, ignoring the teacher who was trying to stop him.

Logan called her cell as he ran to the parking lot. The call went to voicemail after four rings and her car was gone. He began to get frantic and hoped that it was all for nothing. He hoped that she had just been completely unthoughtful and had gone off by herself. She'd find him later as if it was no big deal.

That's what he was hoping for, but something about the way Troy had looked at him made him very nervous. With Veronica missing and knowing that she had been with Troy minutes before class started, he was scared. He had promised himself that he would look out for her and not let anyone else hurt her. He didn't know what he'd do if she was in trouble.

Logan ran to his car and sped out of the parking lot headed to the first place he could think of. When he got to her apartment, he saw her car in the parking lot. He rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh. 'Oh, good. She's here. I'm going to have to let her have it for scaring me to death. She probably wants to be left alone right now, but tough. I was serious when I said that she wasn't going to deal with all of this Duncan stuff alone.'

He got out of his car and went to her apartment. When he knocked and she didn't answer, he tried to call her again. 'Maybe she's in the bathroom.' He would have thought that she'd taken the dog for a walk, but Backup was still at his house. As he listened to the ringing on the other end of the line, he tried to look through the front window. He held his hand up to the glass and could see a small crack in material where the two curtain panels met.

Looking in the window, he couldn't see anything odd. He saw the kitchen, which was dark; and when he shifted he could see the living room. He was about to give up on the window, when something caught his eye he hadn't seen before. He squinted and realized that someone was laying on the couch.

'Could she have really slept through all of this?' He banged on the window and nothing from her. He moved back over to the door and banged on it as hard as he could, but there was still no answer. And, when he went back to the window, she had still not moved.

He was panicked now. He decided to bust in her front door. He would pay for the damages, he didn't care, he just couldn't stand there helpless.

When he crashed through the door, he was sure she would have flown to attention, but she still hadn't moved. It was dark inside the apartment. No lights had been turned on and only a little bit of light was filtering in through the curtains.

He walked over to her and looked down on her sleeping form. She was laying on her stomach with her right arm and leg hanging off of the couch. Her face was turned in his direction, but her hair had fallen over most of it, blocking his view. He knelt down and slowly said her name. When she didn't respond, he said her name again and grabbed her arm to try to shake her awake.

"Aahh!" She let out an ear-piercing scream and started crying as Logan jumped back. She hadn't completely woken up, but had moved her left arm under her body and was holding the spot that he had grabbed.

"Ronnie? What's wrong?" When she continued to cry, he couldn't stand it anymore. He moved her hair out of her face so he could try to get her attention and look into her eyes. Only what he saw when he moved her hair, got his attention. She had a mark on her face that spanned her entire cheek.

"Veronica! What happened? Veronica, it's Logan. What happened?" What he heard next shattered what was left of his heart.

"Logan?" she whimpered weakly. "It hurts."

"What hurts, your face? What happened to you?" Logan asked her urgently. He wanted to rip her off of the couch to face him, but was afraid to touch her.

"He...so angry...car...phone call...you." He had no idea what she was saying.

"Veronica, I need you to wake up right now, okay?" Logan was using his sternest voice to try to get her attention...and it seemed to work.

"Logan?" Her eyes fluttered open and looked up at him. When she realized he was actually there, she gave him a weak smile. She knew she was safe now. She knew that Logan wouldn't let anything happen to her.

When she tried to push herself up, she cried out in pain. All of the sudden, she was all too aware of the pain she was in everywhere. She couldn't think of a spot on her body that wasn't sore or shooting pain through her.

"What is it? Where does it hurt?" Logan still couldn't understand what was going on. She was obviously in pain, but where and why and how could he help her?

"Just a minute." She whispered.

Logan watched as she slid her legs off of the couch and let her knees touch the floor. She placed her hands on the couch and slowly tried to get up. Logan could see her wincing in pain and her limbs shaking with effort. He tried to grab her sides to help her, but his hand caught the spot on her back where she hit the wall.

"Not the back, Logan, watch my back!" He quickly moved his hands to the safer area of her hips.

"No, Logan. Don't touch me!" He was a little hurt until she added a tearful, "please" after a pause.

She finally made her way all the way up and she turned to face him. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "You're here, don't leave me." Then she let her body slump against his, her forehead on his collarbone.

"Veronica, what happened?" He was hoping to finally get some answers from her.

"Well, um, apparently I have the worse taste in guys in the history of the world." She wasn't laughing or joking around, she was completely serious. "First love, brother. Second love interest, seems to have some anger issues."  
"Troy did this? What happened, what did he do?" Man, Logan's ass-kicking list was getting really long now. He had stopped himself from beating the crap out of his best friend on Veronica's part the day before because he knew that she needed him. Now, frankly, he wanted to leave Veronica standing there while he dragged Troy down to the Sheriff's Department. Of course by drag, he meant literally dragging Troy's body behind the Xterra to Neptune's finest. If he made it out of the hospital, then it would be up to the law at that point. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't leave her alone and he still needed to find out what had happened.

"I'm not exactly sure, it's still kind of mixed up to me. He just said something about a rumor about you driving out of school yesterday with a blonde in your lap, me not being in school and then you answering my phone? That just doesn't even make sense."

Logan groaned. 'No, no, no! What did I do? This is all my fault.' He remembered the attitude he'd taken with Troy during the call

"What, what is it?" She asked him.

"Oh, Ronnie, I'm so sorry. I did answer your phone yesterday when you were in the shower. I told him that you were in the bathroom. I figured you wouldn't want to talk to anyone." His eyes filled with tears "It's my fault. I'm so, so sorry. Please, Ronnie, please forgive me for this. I'm so stupid. I..."

"Logan, stop! This isn't your fault. Even if I'd been giving you a blow job on the center table in the quad, he shouldn't have done this." She reached up and grabbed his face so that he was looking at her. "And, there is no part of me that would have wanted to talk to him or anyone yesterday."

He could see the sincerity in her eyes and it warmed his heart. He covered her hand with his and kissed her forehead, lingering there for a long moment. He pulled back to look into her eyes again.

"Okay, first things first. Lets get this bag off of you and then we've got to get you taken care of. What exactly did he do?"

As she told him step by step where he hurt her and how, she saw him wince several times and she could see his jaw muscles go completely rigid. When she was done, he took a deep breath and nodded his head. She could tell by the look in his eyes that if Troy were there, Logan would have killed him with his bare hands.

"Can you stand here for a minute by yourself or can you sit on the couch?"

"I can try to sit. Although, I know when I drove home, I couldn't put any weight on that side of my butt." She blushed a little at the thought of telling Logan all of this.

"Okay, let's try to get you sitting." Logan helped her down. It wasn't real comfortable, but she figured it could have been worse.

Logan went into the kitchen and got out the ice packs that were in the freezer and a bag of frozen peas. He brought them over to her and told her to put the peas on her face.

"I'm going to help you get this jacket off, okay? We'll go really slowly. You tell me if you need to stop."

"Ok"

He sat down behind her and saw that her jacket had a tear in it right where her shoulder blade was.

"Hmm, that's weird. There's a torn patch on your jacket. What's that from?"

"I don't know. When I hit the wall and slid down, I felt it scrape my back. It's one of those textured outdoor walls with those really sharp small tips. Maybe it ripped my jacket at the same time."

"Huh. Well, let's take it off. Just put your arms straight down and I'll lift it off your shoulders." He was practically growling.

"Logan? What's wrong? Are you ticked at me?" She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't figure out what she'd done to agitate him. 'Is he irritated that he has to help me? Maybe he thinks I'm being a baby about all of this. With all of the surfing and fighting injuries he's had, I'm sure he's seen and felt worse.'

"What? No, Veronica. Why would I be ticked at you? I'm just thinking of all of the things I'm going to do to Troy when I find him. I'm gonna kill him." She could tell that he was getting more and more worked up as he spoke. She felt bad that he was being dragged into all of this and she didn't want him to get in trouble.

"Logan, I'm sorry. That's why I wasn't sure I should tell you about all of this. I don't want you to get into any trouble. I just want you to stay with me. I don't know what he going's to do, but I know that you'd never let anything happen to me." She was trying to calm him down. It was the truth, she didn't know what she would do if he wasn't there. Her dad had called in the morning and told her that he knew where his bail jumper would be that night and expected to be home with a nice reward check the following day.

"How can you say that, Veronica? I did let you get hurt. In fact, I was looking for you at lunch and I saw you being led away from the quad with Troy. Argh! I even thought about going after you, but I just figured that you two wanted to spend some alone time together." He was frustrated with himself, but then he became very serious with her.

"Oh, and don't you ever keep something like this from me. Do you understand me? Ever. In fact, why didn't you call me? I'm a would have driven you home. I would have wanted to come and get you." Logan was a little hurt that she hadn't relied on him for help.

"Actually, once my brain started working, you were one of the first things that came to mind. I just didn't know if he was going to come back and I wanted to get as far away as possible as quickly as possible. Then, when I got home I couldn't do anything, but make it to the couch."  
"And this wasn't your fault. I'm not your responsibility and you can't be with me 24/7. What are you going to do, bring me with you on your dates?" She let out a chuckle, just enough to try to lighten up the situation; but small enough to not cause herself anymore pain.

"That wouldn't be so bad." He figured he could bring her along on his dates, he would just forget to bring anyone else. He wanted her to be his responsibility. He'd never had such a strong urge to care for someone before. It wasn't just about her physical safety, which was a big part of it. He really wanted to make sure she was taken care of emotionally, too. All he wanted was to see that gorgeous smile of hers permanently plastered to her face and he was willing do anything to make that happen.

While they were talking he'd gotten her jacket off. He'd seen her wince a couple of times, but was being as gentle as possible. She'd made him feel a little better, but then he started to get a look at her injuries. He saw the marks on her arms first. The bruises were just starting to form, but he could see finger marks all over her arms. She had told him what had happened and he knew that her arm was sore from her reaction when he grabbed it. By the marks, though, he knew that Troy had to have grabbed her several times. There were bruises scattered from where her sleeves stopped all the way to her wrists. Then, when he lifted her sleeve up a little, he could see more.

"I'm going to look at your back now, okay?" He watched for her nod. When he lifted the back of her shirt, he could see the marks that were forming near her hips and knew that they probably extended to under her jeans.

As he continued to lift her shirt, he slowly revealed what looked like a road rash type of injury. There was a little bit of blood where the skin had been scrapped off. He took in a sharp breath and his stomach turned.

Logan had seen plenty of marks, bruises, burns, etc. on his own body. He was used to the sight, but seeing them on her made him sick. He had to take several deep breaths and try to relax. He knew he wouldn't be any good to her if he was bowing to the porcelain god.

"Veronica, I'm going to have to clean up this spot on your back. Where's the first aid stuff?"

"In the cabinet in the bathroom. There should be some alcohol rubs and bandages in there." She watched as he left the room and then returned a minute later with the supplies. He sat down gently behind her again.

"Okay, I need you to lift up your arms so that I can take your shirt off." He cringed waiting for her reaction.

"Huh? You're gonna what?" She had to have misunderstood him.

"Ronnie, I'm sorry. I just can't keep your shirt lifted while I'm trying to take care of your back. It'll just be for a minute and you can hold your shirt in front of you." He waited to see if she would comply. Not that he wouldn't have loved to strip her in any other circumstance, this just was not how he'd imagined it. It certainly wasn't as enjoyable.

She finally sighed. She put the bag of peas on the arm of the couch and slowly lifted her arms. He tried to lift it over her head as slowly and gently as possible, but she still moaned in pain and straightened her back.

"I'm sorry, Ronnie. I'm trying to be as careful as I can."

"I know, it's okay."

He straightened out her shirt and lowered it in front of her, laying it over her shoulders for her to hold in place. He got her cleaned up and then taped a piece of gauze on her, hoping that it would protect the tender area against anymore irritation.

"Don't move, I'll be right back." She watched again as he disappeared into the hallway. This time, when he returned, he had a hoodie for her to put on.

"This should be easier for you to get on and off." He told her as he slipped the hoodie up her arms and over her shoulders. Then, he reached both arms around her and zipped it up, finishing with a light kiss right behind her ear. "I'm so sorry. I just want to hold you and make it all go away, but I know that would hurt you. There is really nowhere to touch you."

She slowly turned around to face him. She looked at him and gave him a soft smile, then she leaned into him and laid her forehead on his chest.

"Perfect," she hummed out as she closed her eyes.

"You just rest for a couple of minutes, then I'll pack up some more clothes for you and take you back home with me. I already called the house and the staff fed and walked Backup, so he should be good for a while longer. And, we're going to need to figure out what to do about Troy. Did you call the cops yet?"

"Logan, Lamb won't believe me. He didn't when I reported the rape to him."

"What?"

"Yeah, he laughed at me and told me to go see the wizard. Not really having a lot of confidence in his department nowadays." She shrugged a little.

"And you thought I was an ass." 'Great, another person to add to my 'Those I'd Like To Beat The Crap Out Of' list.'

"Well, this time there is obvious, undeniable, physical evidence. Ronnie, you look like crap. It's not like you can hide it from anyone, especially your dad. And you shouldn't hide this. I won't let him get away with this, one way or the other, Veronica."

"I know, I know. Can we just talk about it later?"

"Sure, anything you want. Just relax for now." He said as he kissed her head again.

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corrptedchic: Thanks! Yeah, I figured you'd feel more strongly about him after ch 13

Literari and naley forever: Well, Logan sure wants to, doesn't he?

Lorelei Candace Black: Yeah, for some reason people don't seem to be so fond of Troy in my fic. Hmmm. Wonder why. :-)

IluvVM: Thank you, thank you, thank you. What more can I say?

Sagebeth: ROTFL! Yeah, I'm sure you could keep going...seems to be a common topic among the reviews! Thanks!

Princetongirl8182: Well, let me just say THANK YOU and I hope you get this update in time. I may even update earlier in the day tomorrow. Hopefully, you'll be able to get the next one, too. I just don't know what time zone you're in. Anyway, thanks again.

Jennaml2709: Thank you so much. I hope to keep you entertained.

Miss-Mars: Oh, a girl after my own heart...well, then you're going to just LOVE what's coming...I hope. Hee hee

LoVeElle: Tell me about it! Hmmm...looks like we'll have to wait for a good fashioned beat down...time to take care of Ronnie.

RBDFAN: I just love you...you're too funny. Seems like the other reviews share your opinion of Troy. Troy will be out of the picture...kind of...eventually...maybe?

Storynerd89: Oops! Not yet! Let's drag this out a bit, shall we?

xosummerxo: I love your review. It's so detailed! It's great to know what people like and don't like specifically, so thanks! Well, some of your questions were answered in this chap., but you'll have to wait on some others. Hope you enjoy!

Kaleena Mason: Hey, she wouldn't be her if everything was roses, right?

09nerLoVer: lol...THANKS! Well, let's just see about this whole Troy thing, shall we?

2honest4myowngood: I love their morning together. Yes, poor Logan is having to use all of his will power to not leave V and go kill Troy. (FYI: so far I'm loving your honesty, hee hee)

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Thank you so much!! Remember, though, I've been writing this story since March. I am actually working on Ch. 44 right now. So, don't worry, you get it all quickly! I'm pretty sure I only have a couple more chapters to write, so there hopefully won't be any gaps. If so, they won't be too bad.

Lamiss12: I know how it is to be up at absurd hours of the day because of a fic. Thank you for thinking mine was worthy.

SaraLyeth: Well, probably a guy who want a serious ass-kicking, wouldn't you say? Hee hee hee, I can't wait for them to kiss either. Is that sick or what...it's MY fic and I still can't wait! Thanks!

vmloganluvr: Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will try not to disappoint! Love the screen name...in my opinion...Logan/JD makes up at least 40 of the show.

LoVefan4ever: Yes, that seems to be a common view. People sure don't like Troy. Guess what? Me either!!!


	15. Chapter 15

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 15

A/N: Okay, so I know that Veronica's favorites are different than what I give her, but I used creative leeway to insert my favorites. I look at it as a way of improving on what Rob has given us. Also, I kind of gave a shout out to ethereal65's WTUD from lj. It is a broad reference, but the intention was there.

I've gotten such positive feedback and it feeds the beast. Thank you so much!

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It was around three o'clock when they got back to Logan's house. They were deciding what they should do for the afternoon before getting to bed early. They had decided that the Troy "issue" would wait until Keith got home in the morning. Veronica was still reluctant to go to Lamb, and Logan was hoping Keith could talk her into it. Until then, they would just stay at Logan's. Veronica wouldn't be going anywhere near the school until Troy was handled; and Logan wouldn't be going anywhere that Veronica wasn't.

Even though they didn't have to worry about school, Veronica had been through more in 36 hours than most people had to deal with in a decade. She was exhausted and needed to sleep. And, as Logan pointed out, she needed food, too. She hadn't eaten much in the last couple of days and she needed her strength. Logan knew that no matter what they decided to do about Troy; Veronica had a very long and rough day ahead of her.

They put on the movie 'Head Over Heels,' one of the funniest movies ever made and then ordered Thai food, which they would follow up with Tillamook Mudslide ice cream. They figured that by the time the food got there and they had eaten, the movie would be over and they could go to bed. Knowing how sore Veronica was, Logan arranged to have a tv/dvd player set up by the hot tub.

When Veronica saw what he had done, she couldn't believe it. Once again, Logan had done exactly what she needed, when she needed it. She didn't know how he was able to do that, but would have ask him about it later.

Logan had to help her out of her jeans because she could barely move, but he was very discreet about it. This time was all about taking care of her. He knew that a relationship with him was the furthest thing from her mind. Even if it was on her radar, she was much too battered for him to think of undressing her as a sexual act. Any hormonal reaction he had to her body was immediately overrun by the rage he felt upon viewing more of her bruises.

The hot tub was great for her body. It didn't heal all of her wounds, but it gave her a reprieve from some of the pain for a little while. She knew that she would be even more sore in the morning and she wasn't looking forward to it.

After the movie, they headed up to Logan's room. Her sleeping anywhere else wasn't even a question. When helping her get ready for bed, he was amused by the fact that he might actually be asleep by 6 or 7 o'clock for the first time in his life and he couldn't wait. Logan watched as Veronica moved around tenderly.

"Veronica, we have some pain killers, if you want to take anything. They'll probably make you drowsy, but they'll also alleviate some of the pain. I mean, I'd understand if you don't want to after everything, but I just..."

"No, that sounds like a good idea." She looked into his eyes and covered his hand with hers. "I'm safe with you, Logan."

She chuckled a little, "Bring me my meds, boy. Chop, chop." She clapped her hands together to emphasize her point.

He couldn't help the laughter that spilled out of him. He never thought he'd enjoy being called "boy" so much in his life. Of course, it may have had something to do with the enormous amount of trust and faith she had in him. He didn't know if his head could swell any more and he couldn't believe the pure joy he had from making her happy. In the midst of this Hell that she was enduring, she felt protected and cared for by him and he wouldn't have it any other way. He was able to help her relax and have a little bit of fun. He felt needed by her and he had never felt needed by anyone. He may have loved Lilly, but she had always made it clear to him that she didn't need him or anyone, with the exception of Veronica. Those girls had an amazing friendship; he wondered now if it was because they were actually sisters.

After he'd given her the medicine, they crawled into bed. She laid on her stomach and faced Logan.

"So, are you going to entertain me until these magical pills of yours kick in and carry me off to dreamland?" She smiled as she asked him.

"Well, that's a pretty tall order Miss Mars, but I'll give it the old college try."

"The old college try? Logan, do you even know what that means? It means you'd actually have to put forth effort. Now, you know that I didn't mean for you to hurt yourself." She grinned evilly at him.

"Oh, I see how it's gonna be. You're going to use this opportunity," he waves his hands toward her battered body, "to abuse me, huh? And, at a time when I can't even retaliate. Just wait, those bruises won't be around forever. My memory, on the other hand, will be." He smirked back at her. "Have you forgotten about your most recent session of 'The Terrible Tickle Torture'?"

"What?" He said when he saw the quizzical look cross her face.

"Well, it's just that, I've been wondering about something."

"Yeah, that's surprising coming from the girl whose mind is always on overdrive. Bring it on, I am the man with the answers." He said as he put his hands behind his head, puffed out his chest and looked up at the ceiling.

"It's about something you said yesterday. I didn't catch it at first, but it just hit me today." At his raised eyebrow, she added, "Okay, bad choice of words. How about, realization dawned on me?"

"Proceed." His facial expression returned to the smugness of before.

"It's... just...that," she started hesitantly and he looked at her wondering what it was that was so difficult for her to ask, "yousaidIwasn'trapedandhowdidyouknowIthoughtIwasraped?"

"Huh? I'm sorry, Veronica, but what?"

She took a deep breath. "Yesterday, you made a comment about how I wasn't raped. How did you know that I thought I had been?" If she hadn't been watching him so closely, she may not have seen his face pale.

'Ah, crap! I really was that stupid, wasn't I?' He put a hand on his forehead and looked back up at the ceiling. He was trying to figure out how he could get out of this conversation, but there was no way. 'Do I lie or should I just fling open this Pandora's Box and wait for the bloodshed?'

"Okay. Here's the deal. If I lie to you, then you will hate me for lying. If I tell you the truth, you may still hate me." He sighed. "Don't hate me, Ronnie, please. Not after all this."

"You're kind of scaring me, Logan. Am I going to be able to handle this right now?" She was apprehensive. She definitely didn't want to ruin what they had, but it was obvious that there was something she needed to know.

"I hope so. The truth is, last Saturday when you drove me home from the party, I wasn't exactly, totally, quite as drunk as it may have appeared...at the time." He was looking at her with a look that said, 'Please don't kill me.'

"What do you mean, you weren't as drunk as it may have appeared? How drunk were you?" She was totally confused. She was the one taking care of him that night, he had been pretty drunk. He had even passed out on her.

"Okay, I'm really hoping to earn points for honesty here. I wasn't actually drunk at all."

"WHAT! How is that possible, Logan? You were acting drunk."

"That's just it. It was all an act. I had been really upset that Caitlin, and everyone else it seems, cheats on me and I was really emotional. Dick assumed I was drunk because of how I was acting. It just seemed easier to play it that way instead of admitting that I was being a total girl." He gave her an apprehensive smile.

"But, Dick and the other guys weren't around when you were in my car."

"Yeah, but how else was I going to get a ride home? Duncan had left and the party broke up before I could tell anyone else that I needed a ride."

"So, you kept up the act for the rest of the night? Why?" She could see his reasoning behind not wanting to expose himself to the jackasses he called his friends. She could even see his need to manipulate her for a ride home, but he had plenty of opportunity to 'sober up' after that.

"Well, I figured that the only way I would have the courage to ask you why I was such a disposable person was if I acted drunk and didn't show that I really wanted to know. I knew that you would be the perfect person to answer the question because you wouldn't lie to me and kiss my butt like everyone else. I figured that since you hated me and could care less about my opinion, I could get the brutal honest truth from you." He saw the look of shame on her face and he wished he had worded it a little differently.

"Of course, to say that I was shocked by the 'brutal honest' answer you gave me, would be the understatement of the century. Do you remember what you said to me?" When she gingerly put her face into her pillow out of embarrassment and nodded, he continued. "Veronica, you have no idea how much your words meant to me. Your kindness that night after I had treated you so horribly, reminded me of who you really are. I spent so much time demonizing you in my mind, that I forgot who you really were and I am so sorry for all of it. I missed out on so much by turning my back on you. I'll never forgive myself for everything I did and everything that I missed out on."

"That's great to hear, Logan, but none of that explains how you knew that I thought I was raped."

'Always full of questions,' he thought as he saw the look on her face. "Just before you left, you were talking to yourself, berating yourself really, about going to another 09er party." He watched as the realization dawned on her.

"Oh man. I forgot about that." She whispered.

"Are you mad at me, Veronica?" He was hoping that there was some way she would forgive him.

"Honestly, if I had known about it right after it happened, I would have been. I would have been mortified that my biggest enemy knew the one thing in the world that, more than anything, I wanted to forget about and hide from everyone. But, now, with as much as you know about me...well, it seems pointless." She shrugged.

"I can't believe you heard everything that I said that night. The only reason I said any of it was because I thought you either wouldn't remember it or you were passed out...Hey, you didn't actually pass out." She frowned at the thought.

Logan watched her, waiting for the moment she realized the full impact of that statement. He could see the wheels turning in her head and it was like waiting for the guillotine to drop. He knew it was coming when her piercing green eyes landed on his.

"Logan," she paused and had gotten completely serious. "You kissed me that night."

"Yeah." It was such a simple word, but carried such a massive amount of weight. He had looked away from her and was fidgeting a little, knowing what was coming. He wished the conversation would just end there, but this was Veronica Mars.  
"Yeah? That's all your going to say? It makes no sense. If you weren't drunk, why did you kiss me?" She was asking him almost as if she didn't believe him.

He looked shy as his bottom lip jutted out a bit and he let out a long breath that made his hair flutter.

"I just, I wanted to. Then, you pushed me away and I panicked and pretended to pass out to get out of an awkward situation." He paused then smiled shyly. "So, you think it would go over if I 'passed out' now?" He yelped and then laughed when she lightly pinched the soft skin on the inside of his arm.

"What does that mean?" Her eyes were on him again.

"What does what mean?" He knew what she was asking, but was trying to stall.

"What does it mean that you wanted to kiss me?" She spoke forcefully and he knew that she wouldn't let him B.S. his way out of this one.

He put his hands on his forehead and shook his head. He was looking away from her when he finally spoke.

"I don't know what it means. All I know is that it felt wonderful, and I've wanted nothing more for the last10 days than to replay that moment. Look, I'm sorry to dump all of this on you right now, with everything else you're dealing with. I just don't know what's happened. In under two weeks, you have completely turned my world upside down. I can't sleep, I can't think of anything, except you."

"I don't know where this all came from, Ronnie. One minute I'm hating you, the next I'm imagining what would have happened if you hadn't pushed me away. Then, I'm making up ways to keep you away from Troy and excuses to be near you and spend time with you. I don't know if it's because your kindness, at a time when I was so depressed, has clouded my judgement. Maybe it has to do with spending so much time together reminiscing about the old days with Lilly. I will tell you that the whole "GameLand" outfit did NOT help matters."

"Look, I don't know what is causing it, but I am just completely crazy about you. That's it. That's all there is, and I don't expect you to return my feelings or to even to say anything really. I just don't want to ruin our renewed friendship and I don't want you to feel weird around me because of all of this." He was out of breath and just studied her for a reaction.

She hadn't moved and hadn't said anything. She just stared at him until she finally broke out in laughter.

"Great, now you're laughing at me?" He wanted to crawl into a hole.

"No," she said still giggling. "I'm laughing at us."

"I have been feeling the same exact way. I've been so confused and trying to convince myself that I was crazy. That the only reason I couldn't take my mind off of you had just been some temporary, freaky thing. I have loved every minute we've spent together since that night and it has been killing me trying to make sense of it."  
"I wanted to work on Lilly's video with you, I didn't want to leave you on Homecoming night, I couldn't sleep Sunday night knowing that I would be seeing you the next morning, which is why I was at school so early. And, HEAVENS, that green shirt you were wearing yesterday was created by the gods specifically for your body."

"Really?" He was beat red now and couldn't tone down the smile on his face for anything. He couldn't believe that she had given him a chance even at friendship. Hearing her confession now, he was flying high.

"So what does this mean?" He was afraid to ask, but had to know where they stood.

She paused for a long time and he began to get nervous. "Veronica?"

"Well, it sounds like we've both been really confused by our feelings. So much has been going on, that we don't know what is real, what is just renewed friendship and what is fleeting. I suggest we just wait and see. Let's get through all of this other stuff with Troy and Duncan and the paternity issue and then see if we still feel something more than friendship for each other."

"One of the reasons that I've been pushing my feelings aside is because I knew that you would never feel anything for me. I just want to make sure that we're not misplacing feelings that will just ruin our friendship in the end. Logan, no matter what happens, I don't want to lose your friendship. Now that I have it back, I don't know if I could go through that again." She looked up at him with watery eyes.

"You won't, Ronnie. That, I will promise you. I was so stupid before and I think it's a good idea to take things slow until everything else settles down. I want to be here for you as a friend first and foremost."

"There's just one thing, though, Veronica."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Well...if we are going to be able to give true consideration to whether we pursue a relationship beyond friendship, I think there is something we need to figure out first." He smiled coyly, put his hand under her cheek and leaned into her. "You see, I think that we should make sure that this...," he leaned closer and swept his lips lightly across hers, "is worth," he licked her bottom lip slowly, "pursuing."

As soon as the word was out of his mouth, their tongues met. It was slow and soft and intoxicating. She moaned and he increased the intensity of the kiss just enough so that he didn't hurt her. He groaned and he was burning for her. He was taking everything she would give him and wanted more. He wanted to devour every inch of her. He couldn't imagine a better feeling, and he wouldn't be able to describe it if he tried.

They slowly broke apart and separated by a couple of inches. He was still cupping her good cheek and they were staring deeply into each other's eyes.  
"Wow, either the drugs are really kicking in now or that was definitely worth pursuing. My head is totally spinning." Veronica said in a dazed state.

"Well, I didn't take any of the medicine, but my head is spinning, too." He smiled at her. "Okay, as truly HARD as it is, let's get you some rest. Hopefully we'll revisit this discussion when everything settles down." He winked at her.

"That sounds like a plan." She smiled back at him shyly.

They turned off the lights and closed their eyes, both of them replaying in their minds what had just happened. Logan was wishing that they were snuggled up like they had been the night before. He yearned for her touch and warmth.

As if she knew what he was thinking, she reached over in the dark and threaded her fingers with his. "Oh, by the way, Logan. I think you meant to ask me about how indispensable you are. You could never be disposable."

He was too choked up to say anything so he lifted their joint hands and kissed her fingers. That's how they fell asleep, with joined hands and peaceful smiles.

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Serenitylovers: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying it. It is an obsession for me. Thanks for the review.

Emjay91: Thank you. Plenty more to come. Thank you for reviewing

Lorelei Candace Black: I know you do...I almost want to tell you what's coming, but I can't!!!

09nerLoVer: I love the bi-polar responses...I love Logan/Troy's an a. Hee hee...I feel the same way.

ShmexyShmexyHinny: hee hee hee...does it make me evil that I just want to giggle?

inspiresxlove: Ah, look at you! You caught it. I slipped that in there wondering if anyone would catch it...V didn't. You're questions have been answered!

IluvVM: Thank you, stay tuned!

SaraLyleth: Thank you so much! I hope this chap gave you your fix of LoVe moments. Troy will have to wait. We will see Keith in ch. 16.

xosummerxo: Ah, you have no idea! (No, I'm not going to say anymore...you will just have to wait!)

2honest4myowngood: How was that? Got your kiss! Troy and Duncan are coming.

Literati and naley forever: Yeah, I know it's my story...but I can totally see him as the caretaker...RT just never really let him go there, but a couple of times. S2 end and GHB in S3.

Miss-Mars: Yes, my dear. You will have to wait just a little longer, but you will see. Hee hee, I can't wait.

Foreverloves: I have to agree...although, some of my favorite stories are ones where the LoVe comes out of nowhere. I just have to suspend my idea of reality when I read those stories.

LoVeElle: hmmmm...

Kaleena Mason: Thank you sooooo much. I really appreciate all of the great and enthusiastic reviews I've gotten and you've been a big part of that!

RBDFAN: Ah, Logan is my true tv love. In my opinion, no one comes close. Honestly, there are guys out there who may be hotter than he is physically. BUT, when you give me the whole package, whew! No one out there holds a candle to my Logan. :-)

AJzkitten69: Maybe that should be our mantra..."Death to Troy Vandergraff!" Lots more sweet moments to come. I can remember writing a few of these chapters when I was quite hormonal! Hee hee


	16. Chapter 16

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 16 

A/N: That's it! I've decided that I have the best reviewers EVER! I'd like to keep you all and just pull you out of my pocket when ever I need a little pick-me-up! Truly, you have no idea of how giddy I feel after reading your reviews. I walk around with a goofy little grin on my face! SO, TO ALL of you who review and review so faithfully, I love you! THANK YOU!!!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Except my babies and my husband...yes, I own him! That's not up for discussion.

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"Good Morning." Logan said softly as Veronica opened her eyes. He was watching her from the chair he was sitting in. He was fully dressed and his hair was done. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh, I don't know yet. We'll see when I try to get up." She said with an unsure smile. She looked around the room, "You're showered and dressed. What time is it?"

"It Madame, is almost 9 o'clock."

"What? I slept for 14 hours! I don't think that I've ever slept that long in my life." She paused, " Uh, and I am still exhausted." She laid her head back on her pillow.

"Well, you needed lots of sleep. Plus, that pill probably helped." He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was when she slept. The serenity in her face when all of the worries were not plaguing her made her look a little like the innocent Veronica he used to know. When she slept, she was a mix of the two. She still had the shorter hair and slightly matured look, but her face held the quiet peacefulness he'd know so well.

He may have wanted to tell her lots of things and to run over and kiss her again and hold her hand, but he knew that she was right the night before. They needed to take things slow and make sure that they had true feelings for each other. With everything that had gone on and with the repercussions their "relationship" would have, they needed to proceed with caution. He knew that, no matter what, people were going to have to get used to them being friends again. It would no longer be encouraged or even acceptable to treat her the way they had. People getting used to them being friends was one thing, just thrusting a budding romance on them was another.

"Well, I've got pharmaceutical options for you this morning. You can either take half of what you had last night, Extra-Strength Tylenol, Ibuprophen or Aleve...and call me in the morning." He smiled. "Once you see how much pain you're in, you can decide what you want. Just make sure you take something soon. If you don't stay ahead of the pain, you'll regret it. Do you want to lay in bed for a while longer or are you ready for me to help you up?"

"Unfortunately, I think I'd better get up. I need to call my dad and find out when he'll be home so we can figure out what to do about Troy." She knew her dad was going to flip when he saw her and she wasn't looking forward to it. Her dad wouldn't be upset with her, but he would be worried and she hated doing that to him.

"Already done. He should be here in about an hour and a half. He had his "real bad dude" and was just outside of town when I talked to him. I told him that we needed to see him, so he's going to head over here when he's done at the Sheriff's Department. Of course, I could always call him back and tell him to just stay there. We can meet him there, you know, make things easier in case you decide to report Troy." He wasn't looking directly at Veronica and was trying his best to downplay his suggestion.

"Well, I am impressed, Logan. Look at you, taking care of everything. And, I think meeting here will be just fine." She knew exactly what he was trying to do. Although she appreciated it, she wasn't ready to agree to go to the cops just yet.

"Well, I was bored to death just waiting on 'Sleeping Beauty' over there to wake up. So, I also took Backup for a walk and let him stay in the backyard for awhile. I called the school and told them we wouldn't be in today and we'd bring in our excuse letters tomorrow. I figure that bought us enough time for your dad to talk to the school about our absences. I haven't gotten you anything for breakfast yet because I didn't know when you were going to wake up, but Mrs. Navarro is ready to make whatever you need. You just tell me what you want and I'll have her make it while your taking a nice, hot shower." He got up and walked over to her to help her out of bed. He grabbed her hands and helped her slowly get into a sitting position. She was still really sore.

"Just sit here for a minute and let your body adjust to being up again. There's no rush, the calvary's coming to us, remember?" He was about to release her hands when she squeezed his.

"You know, if someone had told me a couple of weeks ago that we'd be here, together like this, I would have thought they'd been knocked over the head. I'm so glad you're here, Logan." He looked into her eyes and ran his hand down the side of her face.

"Me, too. Me, too. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." They could both feel the moment crossing that friendship boundary they had set.

"Well, good then, Mr. Echolls. Let's get me into the shower, shall we?" He laughed.

"Sure, Miss Mars. As long as you promise to never call me Mr. Echolls again. I am not my father." They both laughed, but Logan's didn't reach his eyes. There was something about that statement. 

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After her shower, Logan dressed the wound on her back again, then Veronica got dressed in her sweats and zip-up hoodie with a little help from Logan. She was relieved that her body, although still extremely sore, was not as bad as she thought it would be. At least she could move around. She attributed it to Logan's care of her. The hot tub and the pain relievers, along with the uninterrupted rest she was able to get had really helped.

When they got downstairs, Mrs. Navarro had a spread of fresh fruit, waffles, bacon and eggs.  
"I thought you said you already ate?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she was looking at Logan.

"I did, but Mrs. Navarro knows how much you love to eat." He smirked at her and they heard Mrs. Navarro giggling from the kitchen.

"Thank you, Mrs. Navarro. It looks delicious." Veronica yelled to the lady who had always treated her with such kindness during her visits to the house.

"Your Welcome, Dear." The voice came from right behind Veronica.

"Ahh, where did you come from?" She spun around to see Lettie Navarro smiling at her.

"I was just going to ask if I could get you anything else." Veronica looked around, her eyes got huge, "Do you have anything else in the kitchen? I thought it was all on the table already." They all laughed. Veronica hugged the older lady lightly and said, "Really, thank you so much for all of this."

"It's good to see you again, Veronica. It's been too long." She said as she left the room.

Logan pulled out a chair for Veronica and she dug in. 

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(Ding Dong)

Veronica and Logan looked at each other. Logan squeezed her hand and got up. As he passed her chair to answer the door, he leaned down and whispered, "It'll be okay."

A couple of minutes later he returned with Keith in tow. Keith was smiling, happy to see his daughter.

"I'm Ba-ack," he announced as he stretched out his arms and bent over prepared to engulf her in a hug.

"NO! Mr. Mars, Stop!" Logan yelled and rushed to stand between Veronica and her father.

"Huh?" Keith halted, arms still outstretched and a frown on his face. "What's going on here? I mean, I thought it was pretty weird for Logan to call me this morning and ask me to meet you guys at his house on a school day. Now, though, I'm not even supposed to hug my daughter hello?"

Veronica knew that she needed to intervene and explain everything. "Dad, something's happened." Keith looked from Veronica to Logan and back to Veronica.

"Oh, no." Keith shut his eyes then looked at Logan. "I hope you are not going to tell me that you got my little girl pregnant. I didn't even know that you two were friends again."

"No, no, dad that's not it. It's, It's, well, I... kind... of... got..." she's speaking so slowly in an effort to find the right words, "into an argument...at school." She finishes lamely.

"Veronica..." both guys say in a stern voice.  
When he hears Logan's voice, Keith turns to look at him. "Okay, Logan, what's going on? For some reason, I think I'm going to get a more clear picture from you.

"Well, you see, Sir," Keith knew it was trouble if Logan was calling him 'Sir.' Logan almost never showed respect for his elders. "The truth is...Veronica didn't get into an argument." It wasn't even his father and Logan wasn't the one that hurt Veronica; but he was having a hard time getting this out, too.

"Okaaay." Keith tilted his head down, but kept his eyes set on the boy in front of him.

"Troy, he, um..." Keith was thrown at the mention of the boy's name. Then, the confusion written across his faced melted away into a deadly curiosity.

"Troy, um, what?"

"He got angry with Veronica and he hit her. Several times. Hard." Logan never knew speaking could be so difficult. He had always had a gift for talking his way into, through or out of anything. This was different. He knew how Keith would react. Logan remembered how he felt when he first found out what Troy had done and how he still felt every time he allowed himself to think about it too much. Speaking it out loud, also made it seem so much more real. Even though Logan had cleaned her up and seen the evidence himself, he had compartmentalized it in his mind. It was the only way he had avoided seeking Troy out. Frankly, he still had every intention of showing Troy what it felt like to go up against someone his own size. He just had to wait until Veronica didn't need him by her side constantly.

"WHAT!" He spun around and walked up to Veronica whose head was down now. "What is he talking about, Veronica?" He was still yelling until she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She said quietly as the tears began to fall.

"Wha-" Keith started breathlessly as he finally saw the bruising on her cheek. "Oh, Honey. Are you okay? What happened?" He was fighting back tears now, too, along with a host of emotions. Worry, love, fury and hate were at the forefront.

Logan came behind her chair and Keith watched as he helped Veronica rise. His heart broke when he saw how much care Logan took with her and how gingerly she moved. That's when he processed Logan's earlier words, 'several times, hard.'

Veronica told her dad everything from Troy hearing a rumor about her and Logan, to the specifics of what he did to her, to when Logan arrived at the apartment. Keith just listened as the mixture of rage and tears built inside of him.

When she was done, he stood directly in front of her with tears running down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Honey." He was fidgeting like he wanted to move.

"Her forehead." Both Veronica and Keith turned quizzical looks on him. "You can touch her forehead, it isn't hurt...her left cheek and hands, too. Those are the only places I've been able to touch her that don't cause her any pain." Logan knew all too well what her father was feeling. He knew that Keith wanted to scoop Veronica up in his arms and not let go. He wanted to squeeze her tight enough to convince himself that she was okay. He couldn't do any of that, though.

Keith gave him an appreciative nod, then grabbed Veronica's cheek and kissed her forehead. After a minute, he stepped back and looked into her eyes. His gaze was interrupted by Logan's voice.

"You need to see them, Mr. Mars."

"What? Who?"

"The marks."

"I know. Veronica, it's time for me to see the damage." He watched as Logan unfolded a cloth napkin and held the two corners to her shoulders. He didn't know what Logan had planned until the boy spoke up.

"Okay, Ronnie." And with that, Veronica unzipped her hooded sweatshirt and then grabbed the napkin while Logan pulled it from her shoulders. Keith had almost interrupted, uneasy with his daughter being exposed in front of Logan. He stopped though, as soon as her shoulders were bared.

He took in a sharp breath and then surveyed the damage. Logan explained each of the marks in relation to the events that Veronica had described for her father. He uncovered the spot on her back that he had dressed earlier.

"It's not bleeding anymore, but I figured that the dressing would help dull some of the pain if she accidentally rubbed it against anything." He shrugged.

He continued to move down her body and then pointed out the marks on her hips. He rolled down the side of her pants just a fraction, showing Keith that the marks continued.

"She also has a pretty painful spot on her butt." Keith raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Logan.

"Uh...th-that I haven't seen, but she can't sit down unless she is at an angle." Keith nodded his head in understanding. "Also, there may be a bump on the back of her head from when she hit the wall. She's been sore everywhere and had a headache, but we're not sure if it's from a specific injury or everything in general." Keith continued to nod, blowing out a long breath.

They got Veronica covered back up and she turned to face her father. She saw the switch in his attitude and she knew the look he had in his eyes. He had gone from shocked and concerned, to business-like and determined. That was the only way he'd gotten through Lilly's murder. He had to push aside his personal feelings for his daughter's best friend, the girl who'd spent as much time at his house as she did at her own. It was the only way he could work and solve the case, although he didn't get the chance to solve it. Veronica braced herself for what was coming.  
"What did the police say about all of this?" He didn't like the look he saw between Veronica and Logan. "Well?"

"We haven't gone to the cops yet, Sir."

"What!" He once again turned to face Logan. For a brief second, he thought about the fact that if Logan hadn't been there, he probably wouldn't know the half of it.

"Well, Veronica was hesitant to report it considering how Lamb treated," he noticed Veronica's eyes get huge and she started to violently shake her head 'no.' He wasn't sure what was going on, but knew that he wasn't supposed to go any further with his thought so he covered, "you after you were relieved of your position." He saw Veronica let out the breath she was holding.

"Yeah, Dad. I knew that you'd know what to do and we wouldn't have to deal with Lamb.

"Veronica, I'm sorry, Honey. I know that you hate Don, but we have to report this."

"No, Dad, no. He's the most incompetent..."

"Veronica, look we're not having this discussion. It's a done deal." When he saw the disappointed look on Veronica's face, he tried to cheer her up a bit. "Besides, if I have to shoot him, at least there will be a complaint on record. You know, if the need arises." All three of them chuckled.

"Now, before we go, is there anything that you've left out? You know that they are going to ask you everything about this and the events that led up to it. Is there anything I need to know before we go in there?"

Veronica thought about it for a moment, then she turned to Logan with pleading eyes.

"Could you give us a minute alone, Logan?" He complied and walked into the foyer. He wondered what it was that she needed to tell Keith that she couldn't say in front of him. He thought that he already knew everything there was to know about this situation. For a moment he was scared that Troy had done something more to Veronica, but brushed the feeling aside.

When he had left the room, her father looked down at her and sighed, "What is it?" He was worried about what else she had to tell him. It had to be pretty bad if she sent Logan out of the room, he had seen how much she'd relied on him throughout this whole thing.

"Dad, the rumor that Troy was upset about...it was about Logan driving out of the parking lot Monday morning with a blonde girl's head in his lap." Keith was confused as to what this had to do with anything, then it hit him. His eyes got wide and he spoke in almost a whisper, "Veronica, were you...did you..."

"No, dad. It is true that we left the school before it started on Monday morning. It is also true that my head was in his lap, but let me explain." On his nod, she continued. "We had been cleaning up the A/V room after making Lilly's video and I found some...information on Duncan's computer."  
"What kind of information?"

"Well, apparently he keeps a journal on his computer. There was an entry that alluded to why he had broken up with me. It had to do with a paternity issue." She waited to see his reaction.

When she saw his eyes widen for a split second, she knew and closed her eyes.

"You know, don't you?" She asked him softly. "Here I am thinking that I'm going to be breaking some huge news to you, but you already know."

"Look, Veronica. Your mom's not perfect, but neither am I. There have been some rough patches in our relationship, but I still love her and I love you. You are my daughter, Veronica, in every way that counts. You always will be."

"But, biologically, you don't know, do you?"

"No," he said after a long pause. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this, I really am."

"I know, Dad. I am, too. Really, it doesn't matter right now, though. The reason I told you was because it has to do with the rumor. When I read Duncan's journal entry, I completely fell apart."

"Dad, Logan was there to pick up the pieces. He took care of everything. He took care of me. He got me out of the school before too many people arrived and he put me in his SUV. He laid a blanket across the center console and he laid my head on his leg. Dad, no part of it was sexual."

"I know, Veronica. I understand and I'm so glad that he was there for you. It seems as if he's done a lot of growing up." After a pause, he continued. "I noticed Backup and his food dish are here. Can I assume that you've been staying here?"

"Yes, Dad, but nothing happened. It wasn't about that. I swear."

"Dad, I don't know what I would have done theses last couple of days if he hadn't been here. You have no idea how much he's done for me." She smiled wryly. "I wouldn't even believe it, if I hadn't been here to see it."

He just laughed. "I know, I know. It's my job to worry about you though, you know that." She smiled and nodded. "I am very grateful to him for taking such good care of you, though. I never thought I'd say that," he said as he walked with her to the foyer where Logan was waiting.

"Everyone ready?" Upon their nods, he said, "Well, let's get this show on the road, then."

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They were standing at the front desk of the Sheriff's Department waiting to see Lamb and Veronica couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu. She hoped that this experience would be a little more gratifying than her last visit to Lamb.  
When they got into Lamb's office, they told him everything that had happened, leaving out the information about the paternity issue.

The Sheriff asked Veronica a lot of questions, some of them completely irrelevant, but they finally got through the questioning and filling out the written report. The last thing that had to be done was something Veronica wasn't looking forward to.

"Okay, I'm going to need Veronica to undress and we'll take pictures of the injuries for the file." Lamb said, and Veronica could feel his eyes traveling up and down her body.

"You're not taking them," Veronica stated matter-of-factly."

"Look, Veronica, are you trying to hide something and don't want me to collect all of the evidence. I'm the Sheriff for Pete's sake. This is my job."

"Actually, you forget who I am, Donny Boy. I know Department policy. I have the right to request a female officer and if one is not available, then medical personnel can also take them."

"Whatever," Lamb was irritated. "You're just trying to make things more difficult."

Just before they left, Lamb told Keith that he had deputies on their way to pick up Troy. He assured Keith that he would call as soon as Troy was in custody.

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When they left the Sheriff's Department, they decided to go back to Logan's. Back-up would need to be picked up and Veronica's stuff was still there. Logan had also suggested that they all take a dip in the hot tub or swimming pool.

"You know, since it seemed to help Veronica so much yesterday." Logan added as enticement for Keith. Keith knew exactly what was happening. Logan didn't want to let go of Veronica yet, Keith could understand the need to keep her close. It was a little confusing to see Logan behaving that way since he hadn't seen much of Logan in the past year.

Although Veronica never gave him any details, he knew that she had suffered from the same social issues that he had. How could she not when she stood with her father after he went up against the most powerful man in Neptune.

Watching Veronica and Logan interact, he knew that they had moved past whatever problems they had. Even though normally, he would still be weary about Logan; he was just too grateful to him for taking care of his baby girl.

They barbecued steaks and enjoyed the water. Veronica's body was able to relax again in the hot tub. She felt the tension leave her neck and shoulders, knowing that she wouldn't be accidentally running into Troy.

It was well into the evening by the time a call came from Lamb.  
"Hello?" Keith answered his phone quickly. He was wanting this over immediately; and although he hadn't shown the kids, he'd been getting nervous at how long it'd been since they talked to the Sheriff. He was hoping it was just Lamb being a pompous ass, like normal, and making Keith wait.

"Uh, okay." Veronica and Logan watched as her father listened to an update on Troy.

"He what?" His voice was calm, but tight as he turned away from the two pairs of eyes still glued to him.

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Sarca666: That's actually kind of funny! Anyway, thank you so much for your kind reviews. They are welcome as often as you can give them. :-)

Miss-Mars: Well, this story seems to be a bit bi-polar...either we're on angst overload or sugar overload. Oh well, I guess I like them both. Thanks for the review.

09nerLoVer: Thank you so much. You are so nice. I hope you continue to enjoy the fic.

inspiresxlove: yes, you did! There was enough going on in the chapter where it's easy for it to be missed, but you saw it. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm. It is so great to hear.

LoVeElle: Oh, I know. I don't know if it's weird that I get as anxious and excited and sappy while I'm writing this story as I read other's fics. When I write scenes like that, I am totally picturing them in my mind. I love the way that JD/Logan kisses in canon! It's truly like he can't get enough. He is always fully committed. Sigh! Anyway...thank you SO much.

BrokenGravity23: heeheehee bats eye lashes. Thank you. Yes, I remember a review from BrokenGravity23. It was a nice review, but I'm sorry that there is some confusion for you. Nicole, thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it.

lamiss12: ROTFL. I'm sorry. I know it's not funny, but I know where you're coming from. I've spent many a nights thinking that I was CRAZY for staying up so late for a story. Oh, no...see, that would be something you could expect from RT. In obsessionland, we don't do things that way.

SaraLyleth: Well, what did you think of the Keith/Veronica/Logan interaction? Thank you

Literati and naley forever: Yeah, I liked that scene, too. When I first saw what he was doing, I didn't have a clue. Then, the moment he walked into the jail cell, I was off the couch and totally doing my "Logan-is-the-best-guy-in-the-whole-wide-world" dance. Do you have one of those? I think everyone should!

ShmexyShmexyHinny: I'm sorry. It's is an evil streak in me that has been passed from generation to generation. I get it from my dad's side. BUT, thank you, thank you for your wonderful review.

Kaleena Mason: Thank you! Yeah, we couldn't wait forever for them to give us a little LoVe.

storynerd89: I'm so glad you read it that way. I picture the scenes in my head, and in there, that kiss was totally hot. It's just difficult to know whether that comes across in the writing. Thank you!

RBDFAN: Don't hate me...but I don't know who any of your other loves are...shrinks back in shame. Sorry! But, we can share our mutual love for JD. Anyway, thanks for the review.

xosummerxo: WOW! Loved your review. Thank you for your effort! Yes, there are a lot of things going on. When I first wrote these chapters, I had to make a list of all of the open subjects on the table just so that I wouldn't forget that something was still hanging out there, unresolved. Still a lot of unfolding to see. Enjoy!

AJzkitten69: ok, so since the first time I saw you're screen name, I have been wanting to say, "Wow, AJ's a pretty lucky guy, huh?" Hee hee. BTW, squee! Hahahaha! I love it because reviews like yours and others make me squee! It is hilarious. I actually laugh at how giddy I get after reading you guys' reviews. Thank you so much!

IluvVM: okay, that's it I'm blushing! In fact, I had to sit down so that I didn't faint! Thank you so very much for your awesome and ever faithful reviews.


	17. Chapter 17

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 17 

A/N: Don't own anything! Because, again, I would treat my Logan much better.

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"He what?" His voice was calm, but tight as he turned away from the two pairs of eyes still glued to him.

"Yeah, I understand. Okay. Yeah." Keith continued listening as the Sheriff spoke.

Logan leaned over and whispered in Veronica's ear, "How long can it take to tell your dad that they've got him in custody?" She grabbed his arm and he saw an uneasy look in her eyes that he didn't like.

"Alright, we'll talk about it later." Keith shut his phone and slowly turned to look at the teens.

"What is it, Dad?" Veronica didn't know what he was going to say, she just knew that she wasn't going to like it.

"Well, apparently Troy had a girlfriend, Shauna something, at his old school. They got into a lot of trouble together involving drugs and some other stuff. That's why his parents decided to move here. Fresh town, fresh start. They've been vacationing here for years and have a lot of contacts like the Kane's."

"Okay, but Dad, what does any of this have to do with him being arrested?" Veronica was a little lost.

"When they went to pick him up, they discovered that he had left sometime during the night. When he didn't come down for school, his parents checked on him. Then, after a few calls, they found out that the old girlfriend has also gone missing."

"Veronica, it seems that he was going out with you as a cover story with his parents. As far as they knew, he had cut off all contact with his ex-girlfriend. I'm sorry, Honey." He looked at her with compassionate eyes.

"If he was just using me, why did he react the way he did about the rumors? Why did he do," she moved her arms up and down motioning toward her battered body, "all of this?" It wasn't that she still cared about Troy and was hurt that he didn't return her feelings. She was a little ashamed of her inability to see through the facade. And, if she admitted it to herself, she was a little hurt and embarrassed that the only guy that had shown real interest in her since Duncan, was just using her.

"I don't know, I really don't. It doesn't make sense to me either. In my experience, if a guy is using someone as a cover, he doesn't really care one way or another about what they do. Plus, what he did to you took effort on his part and that's highly unusual for someone who has no stake in the situation. The only thing I can think of is that he felt you had threatened his cover; therefore his entire plan was in jeopardy."  
"I don't know, Veronica. I've got mixed emotions. I'm glad he's away from you, but I'm incensed that he's not going to pay for what he's done. At least, not yet. Hopefully he will resurface soon and the cops will catch up to him." He really wanted to go after Troy himself. Keith would make him pay for what he did to Veronica. He decided he'd use some of his contacts to track Troy down. As a P.I., he wasn't bound by the limitations of jurisdiction.

"Logan, I'll meet you at the school tomorrow morning and explain everything to the administration. They should excuse your absences." Logan nodded silently in agreement. The day was winding down and Keith would be taking Veronica away. It'd been 2 ½ days since he'd been apart from her for more than a couple of hours. That was only once and it hadn't turned out well at all. He wasn't looking forward to the separation.

Normally, he couldn't make it a full day around anybody, without needing a break. With Veronica, though, it seemed like the time had gone by in a flash. He felt a little resentment toward Keith, although he knew that it was illogical. Loneliness crept in as he thought about the night ahead of him. 'She hasn't even left yet and I already miss her.'

"Veronica, why don't you two go pack up your stuff, it's getting late." She nodded her head and started to leave, but stopped when she heard Logan's voice.

"I'll be there in a second. I just need to check on something real quick, okay?" Then he followed that with a stern, "Just take it slow, I'll be in there soon." She smiled and nodded as she left the room.

When he was sure she was out of earshot, he turned to Keith with a pensive look.

"Um, Mr. Mars, I kind of wanted to talk to you about something." Keith looked at the boy in front of him and could tell that something was bothering him. He had learned so much disturbing information already from the boy, he was hesitant about asking for more.

"What is it, Logan?" He said somewhat slowly.

"It's about what happened to Veronica."

"Uh-huh, and...?"

"I don't know if it's important or not, and Veronica doesn't know about it, but I wanted to tell you just in case." He was fidgeting with his sleeves. "When I was waiting for Veronica to come to Journalism...it when she was with Troy. Anyway, at one point I felt like I was being watched. I looked around and saw Troy standing outside of the classroom, looking at me through the door window. He was leaning against the wall and when he had my attention, he winked and kind of smirked at me. Then he walked off." Logan paused for a moment. "Timing wise, it would have been after...you know?" Keith nodded. "It really creeped me out and that's what made me leave class to find Veronica."

"Yeah, I can see how you'd find that disturbing. It's probably nothing, but I'll keep an eye on her. Thank you." He was sincere in his thanks as he began trying to process all of the information he had regarding Troy.

"Now, why don't you go ahead and help Veronica with her things. I'm sure she's wondering where you are."

"Yeah, I should do that." Before he turned to leave, he looked at Keith one last time. "She's going to be okay, right?" He looked sick and scared and Keith felt for him. Spending the day with Logan and Veronica and seeing Logan's treatment of her; Keith could tell that he cared deeply.

"We'll make sure she is. You're going to keep helping out, right?"

"Absolutely. You couldn't tear me away." Logan left to go find Veronica.

"I believe it," Keith said to the empty room.

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Logan entered his room to see Veronica sitting on his bed and hugging his pillow.

"Hey, you alright?" He was afraid that he'd spent too much time talking to Keith and that she'd hurt herself trying to pack up her things.

"Yeah. You?" Veronica was so happy that her father was home and that everything was out in the open with him, although she still had to tell him about the DNA test. She was sure he wouldn't be surprised to hear she was investigating further.

As happy as she was, though, she was equally disappointed about leaving Logan. It wasn't that she felt unsafe around her dad because she knew that he would protect her with his life. She just felt a level of comfort and safety with Logan that she'd never felt before.

"Good." He croaked out and then cleared his throat.

"I've already packed up most of my things, I just need to get my bathroom stuff together." She said wishing there was more to keep her there longer.

Logan walked over to her and stroked his fingers lightly through her hair. "Stay here, I'll get it."

She smiled at him, wishing he would bend down and kiss her again. She knew that the smart and logical thing was to wait until the dust settled before pursuing anything with Logan. She just couldn't help the desire she felt every time he touched her, every time he looked at her with that deep, brown gaze.

"Thanks." 

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Logan was packing up her toiletries slowly. He figured that whatever he could do to keep her from leaving, he'd do.

He came across the head band she used when she was getting ready for bed. She would use it to hold back her hair when she was washing her face and brushing her teeth. He looked toward the door to make sure she wasn't watching and then stuffed the head band in his medicine cabinet.

'Ah, once again I've proven what a girl I can be.' He shook his head and laughed at himself.

He left the bathroom and grabbed her bag, then walked over to her. He held out his hands to her and she took them. The room was silent as he helped her stand. He let go of one of her hands, but continued to hold the other as he walked her back to her father.

When Keith saw them, he rose and approached them. He would have laughed at the sight of the somber teens if he didn't feel so badly for them. In fact, he might feel a little rejected, like a consolation prize. He could see that they were both on the verge of tears, though, and it tugged at his heart. He knew that they had gone through a lot and that tight bonds can form during intense situations. They'd only had each other to rely on for the last couple of days. Now, they were facing a separation that seemed to be hitting them very hard.

"Ready?" Veronica just nodded. "Logan, thank you for taking care of Veronica." He shook Logan's hand and Logan returned it with a tight smile and a nod. Keith grabbed Veronica's bag and walked out the door.

They still had not spoken a word and they just watched Keith walk out. Veronica sighed and looked into Logan's eyes, which was a mistake. She turned and walked away from him before he could see the tear escape from her eye.

As she moved away from him, his senses piqued and everything slowed. He watched as she spun around and her hair lifted away from her head. She took one small step and then another. His focus landed on theirs arms stretching out, then her hand as it began to move out of his. Her fingers brushed over his as his fingers curled in an attempt to retain hold of her for a moment longer. Then, her arm dropped to her side. She was gone and the silence was deafening. 

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The drive home was quiet and Veronica just stared out the window. When they got home she said goodnight to her father and went to bed. She was able to lay on one side, but she couldn't sleep. She got up and went to the bag she'd brought back from Logan's house. She unzipped it and dug to the bottom where she grabbed a green sweater she had taken from Logan's closet when she was packing. She crawled back into her bed and snuggled into his sweater, breathing in his scent. She laid there staring at her cell phone on the night stand.

After Veronica left, Logan stood in the foyer for a few minutes. He felt like walking further into the house and going about his regular business was somehow deserting her. She was well taken care of and he knew that. He couldn't help thinking, though, that he knew what she needed more than anyone at that moment.  
When he finally turned around, he headed straight to his room, got ready for bed and laid down. He turned off the lamp and laid there for a while longer just staring at his cell phone laying on his night stand.

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The cell phone rang and the message received was simple, "Gd Nght."

The responding message was just as simple, "Swt Drms."

When Veronica saw his response, she smiled sweetly, snuggled into the green sweater and closed her eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

When Logan and Keith met up in the school office, they shook hands again.

"How was your night, Logan?"

"Alright. How's she doing?" He was dying to know. There was a part of him that wanted Keith to tell him that she was doing great and had been practicing her cartwheels that morning. The other part wanted to know that her night was as horrible without him as his was without her.

"Physically, she's doing okay. She's moving a bit slow, of course. Emotionally, I think she's a little lonely." Keith knew what Logan was doing and wanted to ease things for him.

They were interrupted when the Office Aide told them that Vice Principal Clemmons was ready for them.

They went in and explained the situation to Mr. Clemmons, who was understanding, offered any possible help and promised that there would be a full review of student safety policies. He excused Logan's absences and told Keith that Veronica should come back when she was ready.

They said goodbye to the Vice Principal and left the office. Before they could separate, Keith's cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and answered the phone while Logan waited.

"Don, what do you got? Yeah? Okay. And what did you find? Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. Thanks, Don." He hung up the phone and turned to Logan who was waiting for a report.

"What did he say?"

"They were doing a routine search and they found something at Troy's that he thinks I need to see."

"What? Did he tell you anything?" Logan wondered what they could have possibly found that would require Keith's further involvement. "I want to come with you." When Keith started to shake his head, Logan continued. "Mr. Mars, please, I need this."

Keith let out a heavy sigh and then nodded, "Come on, but this is a police matter. If I need you to do something like stay in the car or let me have a private conversation with Sheriff Lamb, then you do it. No questions, no discussions. Just don't say a word while we are there. Understood?"

"Anything. Let's go."

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Ok, my amazing reviewers! I love your reviews and I keep wanting to give away details about what is to come, but I CAN'T! I'm excited, though. Anyway, I looked ahead a couple of chapters and ch. 19 does NOT have a cliff hanger...heeheehee. Hope you enjoyed this one.

2honest4myowngood: well, today is your lucky day. I'm updating earlier in the day...so your cliffie won't be as long! Thank you for the great review.

sarca666: So sorry to hear of your recent hair loss. You know, Veronica knows of a good wig shop. :-)

Sagebeth: hmmm, how was that for an answer? I'm thinking you might be left with another question, though.

Lorelei Candice Black: Well...at least I gave you one answer. I never promised no cliffies. :-)

Miss-Mars: Well, as you can see from this chapter, we haven't closed the book quite yet on Troy. Keep reading...

IluvVM: Really, it's a sickness, a disease, really. BUT, I am going to meetings for it. lol

Kaleena Mason: Thank you. I've tried to get their characters close to canon with the exceptions of when I want them to act differently...hahahaha

LoVeElle: Thank you so much. I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much. Ok, so now you know what Lamb was telling Keith, but it looks like we are in the same place we left off last chapter! Yes, stupid, stupid Troy. Watch for next chapter...now there's where we start to have some fun! (Remember, when I say fun, it may not be exactly what you would think of as fun.)

09nerLoVer: Yes, in my world, we never have a S3 finale. In my world, LoVe is treated the way it should be. Wait! Hmmmm, let's not assume that means that it's all roses for them. I mean, really, where would the fun in that be?

VMLoVeR87: Well, at least I answered that one. I'm sure after reading this chapter, you can lay back and relax...or not?

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Hee hee hee. Are you better now? Hee hee hee. I'm sorry, I just can't help it! (Whispering: plus, it's a little fun!)

Literati and naley forever: Thank you so much. We are in total agreement regarding Logan. Although, I do have to give a good amount of credit to JD. I really don't think just any actor could have pulled off Logan like he does. Picture Teddy Dunn in Logan's role...yeah, don't think so!

storynerd89: THANK YOU!! Funny, one of my highlights is seeing the reviews. This seems to be a mutually beneficial relationship! Hmmmm, were you reading my mind? I think I feel violated:-)

Ok, show off, what am I thinking now?

RBDFAN: Whew! Sounds like things will work out for us. I call hunting season, though. My husband is gone for awhile every hunting season, plus a lot of the weekends. Troy, sneaky little guy!

xosummerxo: Yeah, I actually hated the idea of Keith knowing that their was a question about her paternity. He was the one character out of the 4 parents that I would have expected to do something about the V/D situation. It's funny. When I was writing this, I actually had planned to make it so that he didn't know, but I forgot. Then, what was done was done. Maybe I'll do things differently in my next story, which is rolling around in my head right now. DL has 44 chapters written and I think I'll have it done in another 2 or so. Look at you, aren't you a smart one! Refer to my comments to storynerd89 regarding reading my mind. Yes, vi-o-la-ted! (wink, wink)

AJzkitten69: Yes, I'm sorry for the difficult time you are going through. 2nd half of S3 was hard on us all! I'm so glad I can give you a little hope it your time of despair. Hmmm, I've got readers with no hair and no nails now. Not sure if that's good or not. Don't worry, chapter 19 is coming, with it's no big cliffie at the end.

SaraLyleth: Thank you, thank you and thank you again! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Based on your reaction, I think that you may like the Keith/Logan/Veronica stuff that is coming. We aren't done with Keith yet. And, yes, Lamb is an . He needed to be put in his place. For the record, I have a friend who has met the actor, Michael Muhney (sp?). She got to have a breakfast and visit with him and his wife. There were about 15 people altogether. She said that he was one of the nicest, most down-to-earth guys ever. No wonder he and JD get along so well.

vmloganluvr: ok, breathe. You must remember to breathe. Just keep repeating in your mind...Chapter 19 does not have a cliff hanger, chapter 19 does not have a cliff hanger! It should get you through the next couple of days. Thanks!


	18. Chapter 18

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 18

A/N: Well, we hated Troy already, right? I've always felt that there is no reason to do things half way...so here we go.

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There were few words spoken between the two on the ride to The Vandergraff residence. Both of their minds were racing, thinking of the possibilities of what they would find.

Logan really didn't know what to think. Although he had thought that Troy's behavior had been odd for someone who was just using Veronica; he'd thought and hoped that his leaving had been the end of it. Now, though, the Sheriff wanted to show Keith something that he couldn't tell him about over the phone.

His stomach was doing flips and he continually pumped his fist against his nervously bouncing leg. His one calming thought was that maybe Lamb just wanted to see Keith for his professional expertise. 'Yeah, Logan, like he would ask Keith for help on anything.'

Keith was worried. Don Lamb would never ask him for help. The Sheriff had made a point of keeping Keith out of the details of any of the cases the Department was working. The thought that he was now voluntarily opening up and actually seeking Keith out regarding a case, did not sit well.

He had seen a lot of things in all of his years in law enforcement. The moments spent in the car ride to The Vandergraff's only served as time for him to ponder which of those things he would find when they arrived. He also kept trying to figure out what it had to do with Veronica.

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When they arrived at the house, Logan was a little surprised. He'd been expecting to drive up to police cars parked on the street everywhere, police tape all over the place and media being held back by blockades. He had no doubt that they'd be wading through officers milling around the crime scene taking pictures and collecting evidence.

When he saw the serene picture of the perfect house sitting unobstructed, he almost laughed. He would have thought that they were at the wrong house had he not seen the single unmarked police car in the driveway. 'So much for the Hollywood vision.'

Keith stepped out of the vehicle and Logan followed. They walked into the house and were met with another peaceful scene.

"Don?" Keith yelled out.

"Yeah, Keith. Up the stairs, 2nd door on the right." They heard the faint reply from the Sheriff.  
Doing what they could to shorten the amount of time it took to reach Lamb and the answers they were waiting for; Keith and Logan took the stairs two at a time. They found the second room on the right and entered to find yet another quiet room.

It was a typical teenage boy's room. Well, a typical **rich** teenage boys room. It looked lived in, but clean. It was obviously kept up by the maids. It was furnished with a king-sized bed with matching night stands and armoire, a large cd/dvd rack and an entertainment system complete with two different gaming systems.

Logan sneered a little at Troy's choice of decor including sports paraphernalia and life-sized posters touting different music groups and athletes. 'And they think I'm immature? At least I've got better taste than this loser.'

As Logan and Keith were beginning to wonder where Lamb was, he emerged from the closet.

"Ah, finally!" Logan exclaimed. "You're coming out of the closet! Congratulations...way to be brave." Both men in the room turned on him with irritated expressions. Keith's also showed his dissatisfaction with the boy's behavior. 'Oh, yeah. That's why they think I'm immature. Way to go, Logan. Keith tells you not to say anything and you decide to be the first one to speak. Great, insulting Sheriff Dip Stick over there probably isn't the best way to keep myself involved here.'

"Sorry, that was uncalled for," Logan mumbled as he put his head down. Apologizing would have killed him, if he hadn't been willing to do anything for Veronica.

"Let's just remember why we're here, Logan, okay?" Any other time and Keith would have secretly loved that comment while scolding the young man about respect for authority or his elders or anything, really. Now, though, wasn't any other time.

"Yes, sir." Logan still hadn't lifted his head. He knew why they were here. For just a split second, when he saw Lamb step out of the closet, he couldn't stop himself from getting in a jab. It was second nature for Logan, but he need to quell that instinct if he was going to help Veronica.

"What's he doing here, Keith?" Lamb still did not look very pleased and Logan was afraid that he'd be sitting in the car inside 5 minutes.

"He was with me when I got your call and he's been taking care of Veronica while I was out of town." When he noticed that Don didn't look like he was going to allow the boy to stay, Keith added, "He could be some help. He knows both Veronica and Troy very well and may be able to provide information."

The Sheriff mulled over that thought for a moment before telling them, "Fine. But Keith, he's your responsibility. In here and after he leaves. None of this needs to be leaked to the press or around town. Am I understood?"

Keith looked over at Logan who was now watching to two men. Keith was questioning him with his eyes and Logan's response was a head nod showing that he would take this situation seriously.  
"Absolutely, Don. Now, what is it that you have to show us?"

"It's this way," Lamb said as he pointed toward the large walk-in closet.

"In the closet?" Keith asked as they stepped through the door.

"Actually," Lamb said as he lead them through the closet and to another door that had been hidden by clothes prior to the Sheriff's Department removing them.

"In here." Don held the door open as the other two walked through it into what seemed to be a panic room. Only this wasn't your average panic room.

Both Keith and Logan stood there gawking at the "Veronica" covered walls of the room. There was a twin-sized bed and a computer desk in the room that was an exact replica of the ones in Veronica's actual room. The walls were covered with pictures of her and different mementoes. There were notebooks and binders filling a wall of shelves; some of which were laying open on the desk. The room also included a stack of cd's.

The two walked around the room studying all of the pictures and mementoes. Shock would not even begin to describe the state they were in.

Keith had seen a lot in all of his years in law enforcement. He'd seen murder scenes and evidences of premeditation. He'd seen the aftermath of horrific rapes that broadcasted the power play the perpetrator was acting out with his victim. This room, though, was more disturbing than any of what he'd seen before. It reminded him of a movie scene, but in reality, it was much worse. The room oozed an odd mixture of sinister darkness and devoted reverence. It gave Keith the chills.

"What is all of this?" Logan asked, having to clear his suddenly dry throat. Lamb shot him another dirty look letting him know that he was only here by a slim chance and that he needed to watch his step.

"It seems that the young Mr. Vandergraff has a bit of a fascination, for lack of a better word, with Veronica."

"I'd say that's an understatement," Keith added.

"You're absolutely right, Keith, but I was hoping to ease you into it. There is a lot here." Keith noticed that Don looked a little apprehensive about continuing and he wondered what he wasn't seeing. It had to be bad if it was worse than the pictures and replicated room that Keith was viewing.

"Go on, Don. I need to know everything." He didn't want to miss a detail. He needed as much information as possible if he was going to find Troy.

"First of all, as you can see, he's got hundreds of pictures of her. They seem to range from her at a very young age, maybe nine or ten to current. Since we know that he only moved here this year, we were unsure of how he could have even known about her for so long." He stopped when Keith interrupted him.  
"Why do you say that he knew about her? Wouldn't it make sense that he's just started collecting these old pictures of her this year?" Keith didn't want to think about the implications of this boy being fixated on Veronica for the last six or seven years.

"Although I would normally agree, we've found other evidence to support a long-standing fixation. What we believe, just from what we've seen so far, is that Troy created a separate reality where he and Veronica met six or seven years ago and then started dating when they were 12."

Logan's mood had gone from shocked to seething. His stomach tightened and his jaw clenched as he continued to study all of the pictures while listening to the conversation.

"That's when she started dating Duncan." Logan said not even looking away from the walls.

"Yeah, that seems to be the connection." Lamb added.

"What do you mean? Duncan and Veronica dating is what set this off?" Keith wasn't getting the information as quickly as he wanted and he wished Lamb would just spit it out.

"Not exactly. We found letters and e-mails that date back approximately seven years. They are to Troy from Lilly and Duncan. From what we can surmise, Troy met them during the summer seven years ago, when the Vandergraff's bought a yacht and stored it in the slip next to the Kane's at the marina. At some point during the summer, he either saw or met Veronica briefly while she was with the Kane's at the marina."

"It seems that when Troy went back home after the summer, he and the Kane kids kept in contact through the letters and e-mails. On the copies Troy has, he's highlighted sections where Lilly or Duncan talk about Veronica. In some of them it is as simple as a mention. 'Veronica came to the beach with us and we had so much fun.' Others are more detailed about activities they were involved in with Veronica. In one, Lilly recounts in detail a funny story about a class she shared with Veronica in school. She quotes what she and Veronica said and what the teacher said in return."

"It looks like the real change comes after he received an e-mail from Duncan, wherein Duncan tells him about Veronica becoming his girlfriend. From that point, Troy creates a false dating relationship with Veronica and includes anything that Duncan and Lilly talk about doing with Veronica. He's created his own journals detailing what his life with her has been like and he adds details from experiences that Duncan and Lilly had with her. Troy has a journal entry that corresponds with the day Duncan wrote to tell Troy that he and Veronica kissed for the first time. Troy details his first kiss with her in that entry."

"The pictures are all of her when she was with Lilly, Duncan and I." Logan interjected. "He's just cut out Duncan's head and replaced it with his own. Any of the pictures that had Duncan and her cuddling, have been transformed to pictures of Troy and her cuddling."

"It seems he used trouble-making at his old schools as a way to manipulate his parents into moving here. He was always on his best behavior while vacationing here. So after he'd been kick out of school after school, he convinced them that he would adjust to this environment better than he had anywhere else."  
"Then, the first day after moving here, he began weaving himself into her life. Apparently, he had been following her and knew that she would be expected in the administration office at school. So, he placed himself there as a way to introduce himself to her."

"The cd cases on the desk contain dvd's of her. Some of them are ones that were taken from the Kane's, but there are some that were taken from other locations when he was stalking her. There are pictures of her sitting at her computer, walking around her room in her night clothes, sleeping in her bed. He's even got articles of her clothing as mementoes." He pointed around the room at the clothing hanging off the wall. "Plus, some of the entries in his journals have very intricately spelled out, um...sexual scenes involving Veronica. Things that he had "done" with her in his sick little reality and the things that he planned on doing to her. Some of it is pretty twisted stuff, Keith. We're not talking missionary style, here." The Sheriff was trying to be as honest with him as possible, but still trying to soften the blow.

"We were also able to find his reason for attacking Veronica." The look he shot at Logan did not go unnoticed. "The last journal entry he'd written alluded to Logan trying to take her away from him and her being weak to his advances. By the end of the entry, he was in a rage-filled fit. The writing had become incoherent and gotten larger and sloppier. That was Tuesday morning before leaving for school and their run in at lunch."

"Keith, he's put a lot of effort into this, paid close attention to details and used a great deal of self-control and planning here," he said as he motioned around the room. Keith knew what Lamb was trying to say and he knew how serious the situation was.

Logan was sweating now and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He was dizzy and felt like he needed to vomit. The room was closing in on him and he was getting very claustrophobic. Listening to it all, the rage boiled over and Logan couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Well then, by all means Sheriff, let's give him a medal, shall we? I mean, come on, you're praising him! We should give him an A for being such a thoroughly sick stalking SOB. Any other accolades you'd like to bestow upon him?" Logan smacked one of the picture-covered walls.

"That's it! I'm not putting up with your crap anymore, kid. You're out of here!" Lamb yelled as he started pushing Logan toward the door.

"No, wait, stop. I'm sorry. Stop...Mr. Mars, come on." Logan was fighting against the Sheriff's advances.

"Logan, remember what I said. Now you need to step out of the room and I'll be out in a minute."  
Logan stopped fighting at the sound of Keith's words. He knew he'd screwed up and earned his own one-way ticket out of the "Den of Disturbance."

"Fine, but I'll be right out here," he stated and left in a huff.

"He's just worried about her. He's been with her, taking care of her through all of this. Try to cut him some slack." The Sheriff gave a small nod.  
The truth was, Keith understood exactly what Logan was feeling.

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Meanwhile, Logan was pacing around Troy's room. He was mentally kicking himself for unleashing his temper on the one man who held all of the access to information at that point, even if he was a royal ass.

Finally, he flopped himself onto his back on Troy's bed and rubbed his hands roughly over his face in an attempt to clear his head and change his attitude. He inhaled deeply and blew the breath out through his mouth several times. When he was done, he removed his hands from his face and was looking at the ceiling.

'I guess Troy likes to fall asleep gazing at the stars,' Logan thought as he stared at the poster on the ceiling that portrayed a star-filled night sky. 'Well, isn't he just the most sensitive psychopath you've ever seen?' Logan rolled his eyes and then looking at the poster, noticed on oddity along one of the corners.

Logan stood on the bed to get a closer look. It was small, but he could see a sliver of something behind the poster. Logan un-tacked the poster to reveal another glued to the ceiling beneath it. This one was of a nude Veronica...or, at least, a nude body with Veronica's head photo-shopped in the place of the original head. It was very well done and he wouldn't have known it wasn't Veronica if he hadn't seen enough of her lately to know better.

He was ready to kill thinking about Troy, laying in bed gazing at a naked Veronica, staring back at him. Suddenly another thought came to mind and he jumped off of the bed. He began frantically ripping down each of the posters in Troy's room, revealing a new picture each time.

There were a variety of pictures and they were strategically placed. By the bathroom door, he'd placed an actual picture of her standing in a towel, using another towel to dry her hair. By his tv, he'd placed a picture of her standing in her tank top and sleeping shorts holding a remote like she's about to change the channel. By the door to his room, there was a picture of her fully dressed with her messenger bag slung over her shoulder like she was coming 'home' from a long day at school. Then, there was the picture of her holding up a dress still on the hanger, which was strategically placed next to his closet door.

With the exception of the naked picture over his bed, all of the pictures of her were real, and had been taken through windows or some other way Logan couldn't decipher. His head was spinning and he reached up to his face to feel tears that he hadn't known he was shedding. He heard some noise and turned to see Lamb and Keith walking out of the panic room and through the closet.

"What's going on in here, Logan. We heard a bunch of rip..." Keith stopped dead in his tracks as he and a dumbfounded Don Lamb took in the vision that Logan had uncovered. The Sheriff was the first to speak.

"Keith, do you want me to send an officer to the school to pick up Veronica?" Don knew that he needed to get protection on her, especially since they had no leads as to where Troy had gone. They'd assumed he'd left town, maybe fled to Mexico. With this disturbing discovery, though, it was hard to believe that he would just walk away from her after so many years of devotion.

"No, she's not at school today. She's still recovering at..." Keith looked at Logan with wide eyes, who was staring back at him in horror.

"Home," they both said, then took off in a mad dash to get to Keith's car.

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LoVeNaleyJamLiterati23: Ok, are there two of you out there, hmmm:-) Anyway, thank you so much and WELCOME!

vmloganluvr: Thank you!!! Hope you enjoyed this installment.

2honest4myowngood: Well, is that what you were thinking Lamb had found? This update was a little long in coming...sorry!

Sagebeth: Ah, lots of questions...means you have a bright mind. I'm so glad that you are on an emotional rollercoaster. It means I am doing my job! Thanks so much for the review!

Lorelei Candice Black: Whew! Did you figure it out? Were you bugged the whole time?

IluvVM: hahahahaha. Thank you, and hope you enjoyed this one.

LoVeElle: Yeah, I was just picturing that scene happening. Well, how was this chapter for fun?

09nerLoVer: I know what you mean. When I was writing it, I wanted the same thing. It's funny because I kept having to hold off thinking, no it's too early, no we have to get through this or that. BUT, no fear, I am a LoVe-shipper through and through! Lots more Keith/Logan stuff, too.

VMLoVeR87: lol. Ok, so it was NOT intentional for this update to take as long. Here it is, though!

ShmexyShmexyHinny: ROTFL. I know. What can I say?

Literati and naley forever: okay, have you been recruiting? Anyway, lots more LoVe to come.

RBDFAN: Yeah, there are points at which I can not stop the corniness. It must be allowed it's rightful place.

xosummerxo:ooh, ooh, ooh...I would so love to give you some answers to all of you great questions...but I can't. I know, I know. I'm a horrible person. But, it's great that you are so intrigued. Thank you so much for all of the effort you put in to your review!

AJzkitten69: Yeah, I'm sure because Logan is a manly man, he would have rather kept a piece of her lingerie or something, but he had to settle for the head band:-)

SaraLyleth: Oh, JD, totally. Have you heard about his casting in the new CBS show this fall? I can't remember the name of it. Honestly, the show itself doesn't excite me that much, but I am ABSOLUTELY going to follow JD there. Well, guess Troy's still in the story...to be continued.

vmloganluvr: Thank you! I hope you liked it.

Adja: Ah-ha! I see how you are...sneaking in under the radar. Well, hope things are going well for you. Thanks for checking in on us.

Miss Lindsay: Thank you so much. Nice to hear from you. Hope you like what is coming.

Beccakell13: Thank you, thank you. I'm glad to hear that you're still around and that you'll be reading. Hey, any reviews are welcome...how ever often you can. Thanks!

Elektra Bauer: Thank you so much. Welcome to my web. :-)

storynerd89: Well, how was this one? Was it anywhere in your subconscience? Kind of out there, huh?

Miss-Mars: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this one!

jennaml2709: Thank you so much for your review. I'm glad I can provide a moment of peace for you. Thanks!

lagurlroks: THANK you so much for review and your efforts in getting through the whole thing, no matter what the time! Sorry I'm a chapter late! Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

Drunk Logan  
Ch. 19

A/N: I hope you like this chapter. Don't skip ahead. :-)

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There was an explosion of activity. Logan and Keith ran as fast as they could yelling anxiously at each other.

"HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN ALONE?"

"I LEFT HER RIGHT BEFORE I MET YOU AT THE SCHOOL...MAYBE A COUPLE OF HOURS. HAVE YOU HEARD FROM HER?"

"NO, HAVE YOU?"

"NO, TRY TO CALL HER." Keith yelled as he was digging into his pocket for his keys.

"GOT, IT!!" Logan was pulling out his phone and opening his car door while Keith got into the driver's seat.

Keith started the car and sped away from the curb while Logan was dialing his phone.

"Come on, come on, answer the phone, Veronica...DAMN IT!" Logan was frustrated by receiving her voice mail. "Veronica, it's Logan. I'm with your dad. Call one of us as soon as you get this message. Don't wait, ok?" Although loud, Logan's voice was scratchy and quivering and he was breathing hard.

"Try her again!" Keith would have Logan call her over and over until they got to her if that's what it took. Logan redialed her number...again, nothing.

"Veronica, Veronica, Veronica. Come on Ronnie, where are you?" Logan was whispering as he placed his third call to her. "ARGH! I'm gonna kill him. I swear, I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna rip him limb from limb. I, I, I..." Keith knew Logan was losing control and they did not have time to lose it.

"Logan, listen to me. Listen very carefully. Are you listening?" He needed Logan to focus on him and less on what could be happening to Veronica. Logan nodded. "Look at me. Say it, Logan." He was using a firm, but kind voice.

"I'm listening to you." Logan looked over at him with wild eyes.

"Okay. Listen very carefully." Keith said as he kept his eyes on the road and took a hard right turn. "There are a lot of reasons why she may not be answering her phone, right? What are they?"  
"Ah, I don't know! She's always got her phone on her!" Logan wasn't thinking clearly, he just wanted to be there, seeing her at that moment.

"Logan, concentrate."

"Uh...okay." He huffed out a breath and thought for a second. "She could be taking a nap, but she should still hear her phone."

"Keep going," Keith prodded, he knew they only had a couple of minutes before they would be at the apartment and know what was happening. Keeping focused on the problem at hand and on problem-solving was a skill that he had acquired through years of stress and intense situations on the job. This, however, was the hardest thing he'd ever had to go through. He knew that it was a very real possibility that his baby could be hurt. He was just hoping that wasn't the case.

"Okay, she could be in the bathroom, maybe she's taking a shower or maybe she's listening to her MP3 player and she can't hear her phone over the music." He began to calm a bit. "Yeah, you're right. There are lots of reasons why she wouldn't be answering. Yeah, she's okay. She's fine. She's fine."

He was feeling a little better, but he couldn't help the nagging feeling that this was too reminiscent of a couple of days prior. Again, he was trying to reach her and couldn't. Again, he was rushing toward her with no idea of what he would find. When he found her the last time, she'd been beaten, but he still found her. He was hoping that he would once again find her, but that this time she'd be blissfully ignorant of the excitement of the morning he and Keith had endured.

They pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building and neither wasted time in getting out of the car and running to the apartment door. Logan arrived first as he had gotten out of the car before it had come to a complete stop. Once he reached the door, he started pounding on it and yelling Veronica's name while he waited for Keith to catch up with the key.

"Her car's in the parking lot. She should be here," Keith said as he got to Logan.

She hadn't answered by the time the older man arrived. He unlocked the door, swinging it open with such force that it hit the wall and bounced back at them. They rushed in, both frantically scanning the living room and kitchen on their way to the back of the apartment. They separated as Keith crashed through the door to the bathroom and Logan propelled himself to her bedroom.

Logan found her room empty, but decided to check her closet anyway, "Veronica?" He called for her waiting to hear her obliviously sweet voice. Keith had rushed into his room after finding the bathroom and shower empty.

"Ver-on-ic-a?" Both men yelled simultaneously as they emerged empty-handed from the rooms they had searched. They looked at each other expectantly, but were met with disappointment.

"Oh, no! She's gone!" Logan cried out as he reared back and punched the wall.  
"Logan, keep it together. I need you to be clear-headed if we're going to find her. Do you understand me?" Logan nodded as he paced the hall and then moved into the living room.

Keith pulled his phone out and dialed her number. It was ringing when Logan spoke up.

"Wait. What is that? Do you hear that?" He looked to Keith. "That's her phone."

"Sounds like it's coming from the bedroom." They walked back and saw her phone, ringing on her night stand.

"Where is she? What does this mean?" Logan was asking questions that Keith didn't have the answers to.

Just then they heard a weird tapping sound coming from the front of the apartment and getting closer. They looked to the bedroom door just as Backup came bounding in, excited to see them both. The sight of him was followed by the best sound in the world.

"Uh, dad? Why's there a hole in the wall?" It was Veronica clear as a bell and as oblivious as Logan had hoped.

Logan and Keith were on her in a moment, surrounding her, touching her, talking to her all at once. They would have enveloped her in a bear hug, had either forgotten about her injuries. Unfortunately, those were at the forefront of their minds at that particular moment.

"Wait, stop. You're both talking at once and I can't hear anything. What is going on here? Logan, what are you doing here? Dad was supposed to meet you at school, not bring you home in the middle of the day." Keith and Logan burst out in laughter, just so elated to see her.

Veronica looked on in utter confusion. Not only was she clueless as to why they were both there when they should have been elsewhere; she also had no idea why they were coming out of her bedroom. Logan should have been in school, at least for a couple more hours. Keith should have been at work, although she did remember him promising to stay home and take care of her.

"Where were you, Veronica?" Keith finally stopped laughing enough to try to figure out what had happened.

"I was getting tired of just sitting in here and I didn't want my muscles to tighten up too much. I just took Backup for a walk down the path to the beach." She was being so nonchalant about it, like she didn't even know her life was at stake, which she didn't. The worry Logan had felt moments ago returned full force, thinking of what could have happened to her.

"Geez, Ronnie!" His voice was raised. "Why do you even have a phone if you're not going to keep it with you? People need to get hold of you and can't." She could tell that he was upset, she just didn't understand why. "Is it too much to ask that you keep your phone with you?" He said sarcastically.

When he saw the hurt look cross her face, he wanted to kick himself. Keith saw it too, but he knew where the boy was coming from and couldn't blame him.  
"Veronica look, you just gave Logan and I a scare when we couldn't reach you, that's all. He's not upset with you."

"No, Ronnie. I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. I, I'm just so relieved to see you." He put his hand on the side of her head and squeezed just enough to not hurt her and let out a little growl. "You have no idea the heart attack you just caused us to have. Sure, it might be expected for someone as old as your dad, here." He gave Keith a wink. "But, come on. You're taking years off of my life."

"Okay, again I ask...What is going on with you two?" Logan and her dad had said a lot to her since she'd walked in the door. On the other hand, they really hadn't said much.

"Well, Honey, we will explain everything to you later. Right now, I'll just tell you that we have reason to believe that Troy may come after you. We need to get you to a safer location. We could go to Aunt Rachel's house in Arizona." Keith was thinking aloud, trying to find the best way to get Veronica the protection she needed. He'd take her to the moon if he could.

"Wait, what are you talking about, Dad? I can't go to Arizona. I've got school and you've got the business. What are we going to do? Just drop everything here in Neptune and leave?" There was a time when she wouldn't have minded that proposition, but that was before. Before so many things had changed for her. She had a new BFF, she had her job helping her dad with cases, she had Logan back. Their friendship had just been renewed and her dad was wanting to end all of it.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute Mr. Mars. I'm sure there is a better answer. Plus, going to Arizona may not solve the problem." He looked at Keith pointedly and Keith understood the look. He knew it, too. The amount of effort and research that Troy had put into his obsession with Veronica could have easily included knowing the locations of her family and friends. In Arizona, they wouldn't have any special protection and they wouldn't be near a Sheriff's Department that knew exactly what they were dealing with in Troy.

"Mr. Mars, I may have an idea. Give me one minute before you make any decisions, okay?"

"Fine, but make it quick, Logan." He said to the boy who was already walking out the front door with his cell phone in hand.

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Logan returned a few short minutes later.

"It's all set. I've spoken to my parents and you are both welcome to stay at our house."

"But-" Keith tried to cut in.

"We have a state-of-the-art security system to keep all of Aaron's psycho-fans out, plenty of staff around to help out in an emergency, plenty of room for you to spread out in and, on special occasions, we have the press parked outside the gates as added witnesses." He took a short breath and then continued before Keith could try to object again. "Look, my parents are concerned and were really pleased to invite you to stay for as long as you need. Plus, they will only be there half of the time anyway because my dad is doing press for his newest release. This way, Veronica will still be able to attend school and you would still be able to go to work as much as you wanted. Come on, Mr. Mars. It's a great idea, what do you say?"

Keith pondered all of the points the young man had made and couldn't deny that it would be very useful. It gave them extra security, but still allowed them to have access to the town and any clues that might lead them to Troy.

"Yeah, alright. We'll try it." He watched as Logan and Veronica both lit up excitedly. He groaned to himself, 'I hope I'm not making a mistake here.'

"Let's hurry, though. I want to get out of here." Keith looked around the room a little and Logan understood his meaning. They weren't sure how Troy had gotten all of the pictures of Veronica that he had. Some of them looked like they'd come from inside the apartment, but didn't look like she was aware of a camera. "I'll go pack my stuff. Logan, help Veronica get her things packed. Veronica, pack everything you think you might need. I don't want to have to come back here for anything until we know that Troy has been caught."

Veronica just nodded and followed Logan to her room. She was still confused about what had gone on that morning to make Logan and her father so on edge, but they were definitely on the same page. The two were working together, speaking, planning, brain-storming, almost as if Veronica wasn't even there. She laughed to herself. Never in her wildest dreams would she have pictured Logan and her dad working together, and working well together at that.

When they were all done packing, they got Backup's supplies and left for Logan's. Keith dropped them off at the school to get Logan's Xterra and then told them to go ahead and he would pick up some food on the way there.

When they arrived at Logan's, they got Veronica and Keith settled into guest rooms. Veronica's room was situated between Logan and Keith's rooms.

They ate and enjoyed another night in the swimming pool and hot tub. It was a chance for all of them to relax a little, although they couldn't escape the questions Veronica had for them about Troy. Even from her relaxed position in the hot tub, she was dogged with her interrogation. They explained that he had an obsession with her that started back when he met Duncan and Lilly. They believed that it would be difficult for him to stop an obsession he'd had such a devotion to, which is why they wanted to protect her.

Keith wanted to give her enough information to make her understand the gravity of the situation, but not enough to completely creep her out and worry her too much. That's what he and Logan were there for, to worry for her.

They were all emotionally and physically exhausted and wanted to get to bed early. They decided that Logan would go to school in the morning, while Keith stayed with a still recovering Veronica. When Logan returned in the afternoon, Keith would go to the office. They would keep the security system activated whether home or not; and they discussed the matter with the staff on duty that night. Then, they went their separate ways to get cleaned up and reside for the night.  
When Veronica went into her bathroom to get cleaned up, she searched her toiletries bag for the head band she used to hold her hair back. When she didn't find it, she figured she'd ask Logan if he remembered seeing it, either when he had packed her up at her house or the night before at his house. When she'd arrived home the night before, she didn't even bother washing up, she just collapsed into her bed.

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Logan had gone into his bathroom to take a shower before bed. He was in and out quickly, and stood in front of the sink to brush his teeth. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he could still see the anxiety and remains of terror that had plagued him earlier. The events of the day and the worry he still had about losing Veronica finally caught up to him. He broke down suddenly, feeling completely exhausted and so filled with relief and fear. Relief that she had been alright and fear that Troy would still come after her. The strength in his legs suddenly gone, he sunk to the floor.

He let himself cry until he heard a knock on the door and her voice calling his name. He tried to wipe his eyes and sniff back any additional tears.

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Veronica knocked on Logan's bedroom door and when she didn't hear a reply, she entered cautiously. She heard the water in the bathroom running so she moved closer to the door. What she heard shocked her. It was, what seemed to be, Logan...sobbing.

"Logan?" She got no response so she knocked and repeated his name a little louder, "Logan?"

"Just a minute." She heard him croak out. When he finally came to the door, she could see his red, puffy eyes and runny nose.

"Logan? Are you okay?" She asked with trepidation. She had gotten used to being the only one who completely lost it and broke down in tears. Seeing him, with such hurt in his eyes, made her heart ache. "What's wrong?"

"I...I.." Logan stammered around, opening and shutting his mouth unproductively several times. Finally, he found the words to speak.

"You have no idea, Ronnie, how scared your dad and I were. I thought I'd lost you, just when we found each other again. When Lilly died, I learned people could disappear from our lives in an instant. I can't believe how much time I wasted this last year by treating you so badly. If something had happened today, I would've died. And, I missed you so much last night. I know it's stupid, but I was just so lonely without you here." He kind of blushed at how vulnerable he was at that moment.

"Logan, it's okay. I'm okay. Nothing happened and now we know that we need to be on the look out."

"Veronica, you have to promise me. Promise me that you won't get hurt. I really don't think I could handle losing you, not now." He was looking deep into her eyes, he was dead serious and shaking slightly. Seeing the despair in his eyes brought tears to her eyes that she wouldn't let fall. She quickly regained control knowing that she needed to lift his spirits.

"Look, Logan. I'm fine and I'm going to be fine. I have the two most protective people I've ever known standing guard for me. You guys won't let Troy get anywhere near me. I'm not worried, you shouldn't be either." Veronica smiled brightly at him. She was trying to soothe him by making him understand how much faith she held in her "Partners of Protection."

Logan put his hand to her good cheek and leaned in, giving her a long kiss on her forehead. Veronica responded immediately by stepping further into him and wrapping her arms around his waist while he lightly stroked her hair, still afraid to touch her.

After standing there for awhile, they finally separated. Veronica gave him a sweet supportive smile.

"I'd better head to bed. Good night, Logan." She said and walked toward his door.

"Good night, Ronnie." She stopped and turned back to him for a moment.

"Oh, and Logan? Just so you know...I missed you, too. My night was horrible." With that, she walked out of his room, closing the door behind her. Logan just stood there, staring at the closed door and sporting the most giddy smile ever.

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SEE! No Cliff hanger! Aren't I just totally sweet to you?

2honest4myowngood: So glad to have your attention. Now, hope you liked this one...more to come, of course!

Sagebeth: Yeah, I'm not real great at writing the snark, but I thought I did pretty good w/Logan on that one.

Lorelei Candice Black: ooh, you are a sick one, aren't you? Here everyone else is hoping she's alright, but not you! Lol...don't worry Logan will have his chances to be a hero...one way or another (cause you don't actually think I'm going to tell you how he's going to be a hero, do you?).

IluvVM: ROTFL...you know, I was with you UNTIL you said that you didn't love me in THAT way. Man, way to burst my bubble! Hahaha, anyway, I'm so happy that you enjoyed the chapter so much. Hope you liked 19.

LoVeElle: Yeah, I know. I think it really hits home for Logan though. It's right in his face and he can't downplay it. Whereas, Veronica only knows enough to know she needs to be careful, Logan and Keith know enough to be downright scared!

09nerLoVer: But, see. As promised, no cliff hanger for Ch. 19. All is good and quiet and normal in LoVe World...or, maybe not? Yes, you're right. Troy is sick and I don't even want to think about how he got some of the pictures he got and what other pictures he might have!

VMLoVeR87: thank you!

ShmexyShmexyHinny: I know, I know! But, no cliffie this time. Plus remember, your heart will regenerate...no need to worry.

Literati and naley forever: Moonlight! That's it! They had me at JD! Anyway, whew! V was okay...yea!

RBDFAN: lol, you totally make me laugh! I love creeping you out though. I've always wondered about just how far I could go. Look at someone like Stephen King. With what comes out of his mind, you know he's got to be a little nuts himself. :-)

xosummerxo: Interesting...well, maybe you're not such a big fan of the twist. That's okay...it is a big twist to throw in there. Anyway, stick with me and ride it out, then let me know. I know you will, you're such a faithful reviewer. Thanks!!!

AJzkitten69: Yeah, I should write a story where Hannah is a psycho butt-monkey. I can't stand her!!! I actually have difficulty watching the episodes with her in it.

SaraLyleth: I hope you were able to sleep! Well, this chapter should have let you relax a little. Whew! So glad you are so into the story, though! Oh, it's Moonlight and will be on CBS this fall...about vanpires...he plays an ancient one. I guess they already aired the pilot, but his part was being played by an older actor. They decided to go younger and in steps the whole reason to watch...JD!! Woohoo. I now have a reason to look forward to fall tv again!!

jennaml2709: thank you thank you thank you. I was hoping to catch you guys off guard. Now, you may have a

lagurlroks: See, and I don't even watch One Tree Hill. Well, I hope you liked the outcome. See, a breather.

xavia: Thank you! Thanks for writing a review!

inpiresxlove: Thank you! And, see, no killing you this time. All is good. :-)


	20. Chapter 20

Drunk Logan  
Ch. 20

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When Logan came into the kitchen, he saw Keith making breakfast.

"Isn't Mrs. Navarro here?" Keith looked up and smiled at Logan.

"She's here, but I told her that I would make breakfast so she could start on something else."

"Oh, okay." Logan's stomach was growling as the aroma filled his senses. Keith watched Logan pull out some Pop Tarts from the cabinet.

"You don't want any waffles?" He gave the boy an odd look.

"I didn't know I could have some." He shrugged.

"Nonsense. I always make breakfast for Veronica before she leaves for school. You know, food feeds the body, knowledge feeds the mind. Dig in." He said as he pushed a plate of food toward the boy.

"Thanks. It smells great!" Logan wasn't used to this. If Mrs. Navarro didn't make his breakfast, no one did. Usually, most of his family was still in bed when he left for school. On the odd occasion that they were up and had actually made themselves something to eat, they only made enough for themselves.

"So, what time will you be home from school? I just need to plan out my schedule." He didn't want to put too much pressure on Logan, knowing that he still had other friends to hang out with and things that he might want to do after school. Logan had spent so much of his week helping Veronica out, Keith figured he'd probably want a break, and he was grateful for whatever time Logan could give him. "I am going to be stopping by the Sheriff's Department to see if they've found anything more before I head to the office."

"I can usually be home by 2:45, but my last class is study hall. I just do homework in there, so I'm sure I can be excused. I'll talk to Van about it."

"Van?"

"You know, Vice Principal Van Clemmons." He smirked. "Anyway, that should get me home by two o'clock at the latest."

"You don't have anything else you need to do? I don't want to ruin whatever plans you had." 

"Are you kidding? I'd stay home with her 24/7 if it weren't for you pushing me to get an education!" They both laughed.

"Well, this is going to take some getting used to." Keith said to himself after the laughter died down. He knew that Logan had been worried about Veronica and he'd seen how much the young man cared for her. He was still shocked, though, by the amount of devotion Logan was expressing.

"What's that?" Logan had heard him and didn't know what he was referring to.

"It's just that...for so long, Veronica and I have been on our own for the most part. Since Lilly's been gone, I've been the only one looking out for Veronica and she's held me together. Even before Lianne left, she wasn't exactly the picture of selfless motherhood."

"Well, I wouldn't know about that, but I do know that I owe you an apology. I deserted Veronica when she needed me the most. I just...I went into a tailspin when Lilly died and I took Veronica with me." Logan couldn't believe that he was being so open with Keith. Normally if he wasn't snarking at adults, he was outright ignoring them.

Having Veronica back in his life over the last two weeks had brought more emotion out of him than he'd shown in a long time. He'd spent so long wearing a facade of indifference for everyone, drowning all true emotion in snark, sarcasm and booze.

After seeing how much Keith cared for Veronica and how much she trusted him; Logan felt a bond with the man that he didn't quite understand.

"I know it was difficult for you, Logan. You've shown me how much you care about Veronica and she's forgiven you. I can forgive you, too. You've stepped up now, Logan. Don't beat yourself up too much."

"Thanks. Well, I'd better be getting to school. Tell Veronica I said to take it easy when she gets up. Make yourselves at home. I think she knows where everything is and if not, just ask Mrs. Navarro."

Logan finished the last of the food on his plate and left for school. 

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"Was that the door I just heard?" Keith turned to see his daughter entering the kitchen and smiled.

"Yeah, Logan just left for school."

"Oh." Disappointment was written all over her face as Keith tried to hide the upturn of his mouth.

"Did you need him for something?"

"No. I just didn't realize he left this early." She was still exhausted. The only reason she'd gotten out of bed was because she thought she'd see Logan before school. 'Now I have to wait until school's out.'

"He left a message for you, though." He smiled when she perked up. "Yeah, he told me to tell you to take it easy. He seems to be pretty worried about you, huh?" He was baiting her, trying to extract information. He was wondering about the status of their relationship. Did they know how they felt about each other? Were they dating? Neither had mentioned anything to him.  
"Yeah, I guess," was the only response she gave to his prodding. "I'm going to go do some homework. I've really gotten behind this week." She grabbed a plate of food before returning to her bedroom. 

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Logan got out of the Xterra and put his sunglasses on to block out the bright morning sun. Although he didn't enjoy sitting in classes and homework and listening to authority, he usually didn't mind school either. Most of the people at the school looked up to him or, at least, respected his social status. He could generally mouth off, show up late, leave early and indulge in take-out for lunch on any given day.

It was ironic, really, that the one person who had not looked up to him and who had not respected his social status, was the reason he was dreading school. Not because she would be at school and he didn't want to see her. On the contrary, she wouldn't be at school and she was the only one he wanted to see.

"Hey, Logan," he heard the voice of the boy he had considered his best friend for the last four years and he cringed. When he turned around to face Duncan, he wondered if he had ever really known him.

"Uh...Hey, DK." He rubbed the back of his neck in a show of discomfort and nervousness. He turned and they both started walking toward the school.

"Where you been? I haven't seen you in school much this week." Logan knew that Duncan was digging for information. With as clueless as he could be, Duncan wasn't that disconnected. With the way gossip traveled at Neptune High, Duncan would've had to have been dead to not know something was up.

Logan knew that it would be difficult explaining this week to everyone. He and Veronica had left before school on Monday, but apparently not early enough to avoid people spreading rumors about her servicing him in the Xterra. They were both seen for half of the day Tuesday, and Wednesday, they weren't there at all. If anyone had any questions about whether there was a connection between he and Veronica's absences, they would have been answered by sighting Logan and Keith Mars together on Thursday.

"Been here and there. What's up with you?" He was trying to be as nonchalant as possible, but Duncan laughed.

"That's it? You've been here and there? Do you know what people are saying about you and Veronica?" He was flustered. He wanted to demand answers from Logan, but that wasn't his style.

"Yeah. This school always needs something to talk about. Look, I've gotta run. I've gotta get to the office. See ya later, okay?" Logan just wanted to escape the situation. He and Veronica would still have to deal with the discovery they'd made in Duncan's journal, but that would have to come later.

"Hey, Logan! Wait up, what's going on?"  
"Nothing, man. Just let me know immediately if you hear from Troy, okay?" Logan said as he continued to jog away from his friend.

"Troy, why Troy?" Duncan said to himself. He was irritated that Logan had brushed him off.

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Logan figured that his best bet would be to avoid everyone. Normally, he wouldn't care what people said, he'd just tell them to go evaporate or something. This wasn't about him, though. It was about Veronica and the best way to keep her safe. Right now, that was to involve as few people as possible. He wouldn't tell them she was staying with him, he wouldn't even let them know that he knew where she was. Until he got the okay from Keith and Veronica, he didn't want to answer any questions about what she was going through.

It was Friday. All he had to do was get through the day and he would have the entire weekend with Veronica. His parents were due back on Sunday for a couple of days before heading out again for more publicity.

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Logan's visit with the Vice Principal was pretty uneventful. Keith had already called him to explain everything and he was very willing to help in whatever way he could. He told Logan to spend as much time at home as needed and if it came to it, he would have class assignments delivered.

He made it to his first class just in time, so he avoided having to answer any questions. Then, he stayed in the classroom under the pretenses of getting makeup assignments from his teacher. That's how his whole morning went. Into class in the nick of time, out with just enough time to make it to his next class.

When lunch came, Logan found an empty classroom to hide out in. He didn't have any lunch and was grateful for the big breakfast Mr. Mars had fixed. He was happy to be catching up on some of his schoolwork. Not that he minded missing a few assignments here and there, but being too far behind could put a damper on his free time. That was not going to happen, considering his free time was all about Veronica. Not only that, but he knew Veronica. She would be asking him about his schoolwork and would force him to be on top of things.

While he was sitting at lunch, thinking about Veronica, he wondered how she was doing. He picked up the phone to call her, then changed his mind. If she was napping, he wouldn't want to wake her. He decided to try Keith's number, which was now on his speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Keith, it's me. How's Veronica doing?"

"Boy, were your ears burning?" The line went silent except for some rustling around. He was beginning to wonder what had happened when he heard her.  
"Logan?"

"Hey, Ronnie. How are you feeling?" He had the goofiest grin on his face just from the sound of her voice. He couldn't help it. He was just glad to be in a secluded classroom where he wouldn't draw attention to himself.

"I'm doing better. I'm finally feeling human again today. Granted a beaten up human, but human. At least there's a light at the end of the tunnel. How's school?" She had been dying to talk to him, but hadn't wanted to bug him at school. Plus, she never knew who he'd be with and she didn't want anyone to know he was talking to her.

"Uhh, is it over yet?" They both laughed. "What did your dad mean when he asked me if my ears were burning? Were you guys talking about me?"

"I had just asked him when you would be home. I wasn't sure when the changing of the guards would be happening."

"Oh. I'll be home after 5th period. I've been excused from Study Hall until further notice. Apparently, I am so brilliant, there's no need for me to study." They laughed again.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it. So, after 5th, huh? You don't have anything you needed to do? I'm sure Dick and the guys are thinking you've fallen off the face of the earth." She was trying for casual, but she really wanted him home as quickly as possible.

"Veronica," Logan said sternly. "You are my number one priority right now. I think the guys can wait. Stop being ridiculous. You know that I wish I were there right now."

"Thanks, Logan. I wish you were to," she said as she noticed her father looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, not that my dad isn't great, because he is. My dad is the bestest in the whole wide world." She was totally sucking up.

Then she spoke away from the receiver a bit, "You know I'm just concerned about you getting behind on your workload, Dad." She could hear Logan chuckling on the other end of the line.

"You hush over there. You're not the one getting the evil eye here." She whispered to Logan.

"Hey, lunch is about to be over and I've got to get to class. I'll see you in a little bit and we'll do whatever you want to. We can watch movies, relax in the tub...I, I mean hot tub, play video games. You know, whatever." He was still smiling from ear to ear and anxiously awaiting the end of 5th period.

"Video games, huh? Yeah, we'll see. Just get home and we'll figure it out." Logan loved hearing her say 'home'. For the first time, ever maybe, he felt like it really was a home. He had someone there who was waiting for him to come home and excited to see him. He doesn't remember the last time he felt that way.

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye"  
"Bye, Logan." 

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Logan barely got through Journalism with Duncan. He kept avoiding eye contact and then, when Duncan moved to approach him, he got up quickly to talk to the teacher.

The last period was a waste for Logan. He was so anxious to get out of there, he was counting down the minutes on the clock. The fact that he stayed focused enough to here his name for roll call was pretty impressive.

He'd made sure that he had everything from his locker before 5th period. When class ended, he bolted straight out of his seat and made a beeline for his SUV. Then, he had to physically restrain himself from pushing the pedal to the metal to get home as quickly as possible.

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"Logan? Is that you?" He smiled, 'there's my angel,' he thought to himself.

"Yeah, it's me."

"How'd you get here so early? I didn't expect you for another 10 minutes." She said as he walked into the den where she was sitting on the couch.

"Complaining, Miss Mars?" He dropped his bag on the floor and tried to check out the bruises on her face and arms without her noticing.

"Not at all. They're looking better, huh?" He knew he'd been caught and gave up all pretenses.

"Yeah, your healing nicely. Do they still hurt much?" He had been dying to hold her in his arms and comfort her since it had happened. The closest he had gotten was holding the one side of her face, kissing her forehead, stroking her arms lightly.

"They're still a little sore, but I'll live...so you can stop worrying so much." She smirked and lightly punched his arm.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't know. I'm sure you'll always give me a reason to worry, Mars." He knew that they were ignoring the elephant in the room. The elephant that spelled out 'Troy is a psycho.'

Of course, Logan had reason to worry about her, now more than ever. He would play her game, though. He knew that there was no reason to add to any fear that she might have.

"So, what's your pleasure, Echolls?"

"Huh?" He looked at her and swallowed. Suddenly his mouth had gotten very dry.  
"What do you want to do tonight while dad's working? I assume you have some homework to catch up on, but what about after that?"

"Oh, don't you worry about my homework. I got some time to work on it today and I'll do some more later. We can do whatever you'd like. Play cards, swim, movies, games, whatever." Logan had to recover from his initial thoughts of what he'd like to do with her.

"Let's swim for a while, then we can come in the house and relax. I've been relaxing all day under house arrest and I'm bored." She smiled at him. "I'm glad you're home, you can be my entertainment monkey."

He watched her as she laughed at him and he couldn't be happier. He was starting to see a sliver of the Veronica he knew. Since the beginning of the week, she'd been so unsure of herself. Although he'd loved taking care of her and wouldn't have traded their time together, he was happy to see a little of her attitude returning.

"Yeah, I'll be your monkey...if you pet and cuddle with me." She smacked his arm and gasped.

"Logan! Go get changed. I've already got my suit on under my clothes." She was pushing at him to get up.

"Already have your suit on? I thought you said you'd been relaxing all day?"

"I have, but I figured we might go swimming." She looked at him innocently.

"You thought we might go swimming, huh? No, you planned to go swimming and just let me figure it out as we went along. Nice touch, though, asking me what I wanted to do. Like I had a choice. Girl, you are sneaky."

"I have no idea what you mean." She smiled sweetly at him. "Now move your butt, Echolls." She was laughing.

"Alright, I'll be back here in a minute. Don't go outside until I'm with you, okay?" He wanted to make sure she was safe. They'd been keeping the alarm on even when they were in the house. He didn't want her to be vulnerable while she was waiting for him by the pool.

"Alright, but make it snappy." She snapped her fingers to drive home the point.

Before Logan could get away, Keith came out of his room, ready for work.

"Oh, Logan, great. You're home. That means I'm going to head out. I'll see you guys later. Stay safe, keep the alarm on at all times, keep your cell on you, Logan, and I'll keep you apprised as to my schedule for the evening.

"Will do. Work fast." Logan said as he watched Keith bend over and kiss Veronica on the head.  
"Oh! Mr. Mars. One more thing. My parents called today to tell me that they have contacted the security company that normally works our parties. They should be sending over a couple of guys later tonight."

"Logan, that's great. Please thank your parents for me. That makes me feel better about leaving." Keith had been nervous about leaving Veronica with only Logan to protect her. Not that he didn't trust Logan, he was very confident that Logan would do anything to keep Veronica safe. He was still a boy, though, and having extra muscle around made Keith very happy.

"I'll see you kids tonight." 

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After swimming a few laps, Logan joined Veronica in the hot tub. She had been reading a book and looked up when he entered. He looked great and she had to roll her tongue back in as she watched him descend into the water. She was sure that the temperature of the water jumped a good ten degrees after adding one super hot Logan Echolls.

She blushed at how silly she was being and went back to reading, or at least pretending to read. Since she was continually glancing his way, she still hadn't turned a page after five minutes had passed.

Noticing him stretching his neck from side to side and trying to rub his own shoulders, she formulated a game plan. She moved over to him, pushed him forward slightly and slid in behind him.

"What are you...hmm." Logan had begun questioning her until the moment her hands touched his skin. With a single touch from her, all coherent thought left him and his body's responses to her took over.

She began massaging his tension-rich neck, shoulders and back. His muscles were so tight and she felt him relax and heard his moan of approval.

Her touch felt so good. He had no idea of why she had decided to give him a massage, but he wasn't going to put a stop to it. Feeling her hands on him created an automatic response in him. Returning her touch seemed natural.

She jumped a little when he rested his arms around her upper legs which were straddling him; and began to softly rub her lower legs. The feeling was amazing and chills spread over her entire body. She moved closer to him and rested her forehead in the crook between his neck and shoulder. She continued to rub over his back, shoulders, the top of his chest, then down his arms as far as she could reach.

Logan was sure he was in heaven. He closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feel of her touch across his skin and the feel of her skin under his touch. He loved feeling her snuggle up to him. He was sure she had no idea of the affect she had on him. Just being around her sometimes was difficult enough. This feeling, though, was almost unbearable.  
The moment she lifted her head from him, he wanted to scream at the loss of contact. That was, until he felt her lips lightly grazing across the same area.

She heard a low growl escape from his throat. Then she felt his hands traveling up her legs to just above her knees, where he squeezed the back of her legs. All rationality left her and she began placing open-mouth kisses along his neck and up to his ear.

He pulled behind her knees until her crotch was pressed firmly against him. At that, he heard her gasp into his ear and felt her bite down softly on his lobe. He was at full attention now and could picture himself turning around and ravaging every last inch of her body. He began to move to return her kiss when he heard a throat clear. Both of them stopped immediately and looked up to see Mrs. Navarro trying to not look at them.

"Mr. Logan, the gentlemen from the security agency are here. They are waiting in the foyer." Still not looking him in the eye, she turned and left.

Logan took a deep breath and chuckled. "Of course they are." He turned to face Veronica who was blushing.

"Why don't you get your robe on and join us in the den. They need to meet you," he said and then got out of the hot tub to dry himself off.

She watched his body move through the water and away from her. 'Now that's a show stopper, Ladies and Gentlemen!' She rolled her eyes and knew that she was wearing a major blush.

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After meeting with the security detail and giving them a tour of the grounds, Logan and Veronica ordered a pizza. When they sat down to watch a movie, Veronica laid down with her head on Logan's leg.

He spent the last half hour of the movie stroking her hair and when he moved to get the remote as the movie ended, he saw that she had fallen asleep. He continued to stroke her hair as he watched her sleep. She seemed so peaceful and she looked like an angel to him, even with the fading bruise on her face.

He looked at her trying to remember if he'd ever felt for anyone, what he felt when he looked at her. 'I loved Lilly, I'm sure of it; but I just don't remember this feeling. Plus, it's not like I'm in love with Veronica. We've just started all of this. Actually, we haven't truly started anything. We're supposed to be waiting until things calm down. The hot tub was just a freak thing.'

Logan chocked it up to the intense circumstances of the previous two weeks. He covered her with the blanket that was on the back of the couch and then fell asleep, too.

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Literati and naley forever: Thanks! I hope you liked the LoVe here.

Lorelei Candice Black: hee hee hee, I know. And action, romance, etc, etc, you will get. Actually, hopefully this chapter gave you a litte. Thanks!

AJzkitten69: Yes, they would be true demon spawn...enticing at first look, but evil to the core. Oh, oh, what's that? Another non-cliff hanger? Say it isn't so. Hee hee hee. And, yeah, how could we not have them together. Separate living? No way!

xosummerxo: I LOVE your long review! Thank you so much. You know someone else mention OTH after ch 18. I swear I don't even watch it. The closest I've come to watching it is watching Chad Michael Murry (sp? Murray?)back when he was on Dawson's Creek. But, yes in a way, ah ha...when Troy said "I'll see you around, Veronica", obviously there was more going on there. Hope you enjoyed the LoVe in ch. 20. With Keith staying at their house, I think that although he'd be uncomfortable, I can see him swallowing his pride and doing a lot of things in the name of keeping V safe.

Beatlechicksteph: Well, thank you. I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Hey, hang on to your seat...lots more to come.

09nerLoVer: Thanks! I love that you are really feeling the story. I can never be sure how it's going to read when I write it.

Alfabettezoupe: Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate the feedback and the enthusiasm.

IlumVM: You are too funny. It seems that I was writing your thoughts...only, before you actually had them. Lol. Anyway, I am so glad you are enjoying it. Don't worry, I don't take offense to you telling me to hurry. I have stalked (not really) writers at times to try to get them to update.

Miss-Mars: hmmmm...guess we'll have to wait and see...Thanks!!!

LoVeElle: I'm so glad you held out and didn't skip ahead. I love that you had such a strong reaction to the chapter. That is exactly how I felt as I was writing it. Oh, was that some good sexyness?

SaraLyleth: I'm not tel-ling, I'm not tel-ling. I do know what happens, but I'm not tel-ling. Hahahaha. Anyway, my heart just broke for LoVe when they were separated. I had to let them have at least a little more time together. Ok, so you are right with the JD/KB banter. BUT, I have to say that I was beyond impressed with JD's acting ability. The man can say more with just a look than a lot of actors can through an entire monologue. I'm going to miss VM too, though.

VMLoVeR87: Good! Thank you. There is still some more for the two of them.

LoVeNaleyJamLite: Oh, extra reviews are fine with me. Yes, Troy is a naughty boy! He deserves it, doesn't he!

Elektra Bauer: Hee, hee, hee! Is that a threat? What happens if this chapter sucked or the next chapter sucks? What will you do to me? Haahaahaa. Anyway, I'm glad you're liking it. Thanks!!!

RBDFAN: Thanks for your note! I hope you have a good one!

2honest4myowngood: Thank you! Does that mean that the story is crispy and flavorful:-)

lagurlroks: Ah, so many things...well your questions will be answered...eventually and in stages. How is that for informative? Heehee Anyway, thanks!!! Enjoy!


	21. Chapter 21

Drunk Logan  
Ch. 21

A/N: ok, my longest update so far...enjoy...and remember...I own nadda.

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"Good morning." Logan looked around to see Keith smiling back at him.

"Morning," he said with a quiet, raspy voice. He began to get up until he recognized the weight on his leg was Veronica. He looked down and saw that she was still sound asleep.

"Looks like you guys fell asleep watching t.v., huh?"

"Y, Yeah, she fell asleep first. I, I thought about carrying her to her bed, but I was afraid to lift her, you know, because of her bruises." Logan was really wishing that he hadn't been caught "sleeping" with Keith Mars' daughter...especially by Keith Mars.

Because of the relationship he'd started to build with Mr. Mars, he had gained a certain amount of respect for him. He didn't want Keith to ever think that Logan was trying to take advantage of Veronica.

"It's okay, Logan. I understand. How's she doing?" Keith appreciated the boy's nervous attitude. Some fathers might take that as a sign of guilt. He'd known Logan for a long time, though. He knew that Logan usually wasn't bashful or respectful to adults. The fact that Logan was showing either, showed a maturity about him that hadn't been there before.

"Pretty good. Her spirits are doing fine. We met with the security detail last night...Did you meet them? I gave them a description of you."

"Yeah, we talked for a little bit when I got home." Both of them were still speaking just above a whisper.

"Did you find anything out about Troy yet?" Logan knew that Keith planned on talking to the Sheriff, but that he wouldn't stop there. Keith would want to get his own information, follow his own leads and find his own answers. Logan knew that he and Veronica didn't trust Lamb to do his job. Now that Logan knew about his reaction to Veronica's rape report, he understood why.

"A little. Nothing to go on yet, but it's a start. We've got the ex-girlfriend angle. I'm not sure how, if Troy's obsessed with Veronica, the ex plays into all of this. Is it a coincidence that they both went missing at the same time? Are they working together? Is he using her for something? There are a lot of unanswered questions. We're also following up on places he could have gone with or without the girl. The Sheriff's Department has their computer tech going through Troy's files to see if they can get any clues from e-mails, recent web searches, things like that."

"I'll be going in again today, unless you need to do something else?"  
"No, no. Go find him, I'll be here. I just want him taken care of ASAP!" Logan loved having Veronica staying with him, but he'd rather know for sure that she was safe.

"Well, that's my plan. I'm gonna get going. Let her know I'll call her later." Keith patted Logan on the back as he moved toward the door. He stopped, looked back at Logan and said, "Take care of her, Logan."

"Don't worry, I will," he said as looked down at her with veneration.

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Logan and Veronica spent the day getting caught up on their homework. They were both planning to go back to school on Monday and didn't want to be too far behind. Veronica knew that she had a great excuse and that her teachers would be more than willing to work with her. She was an excellent student normally. She also knew, though, that she would have enough to deal with when she returned. She didn't want extra school work hanging over her head.

"Well, school should be fun on Monday," Veronica said sarcastically.

"Yeah." He knew she was justified for feeling apprehensive about returning, and he wanted to make her feel better. "It'll be alright. We'll just have to avoid them as much as possible and ignore the ones we can't." Logan shrugged. He hated the thought of her going back to school and facing the vultures.

"What do you mean, we? Unless you've forgotten, you are the 'King of Neptune High.'" She replied as she stuck her nose in the air and batted her eyelashes. She had the slightest smirk on her face.

"Oh, shut up! We all have our crosses to bear in life. Can I help it that every guy wants to be me and every chic wants to get into my pants." They busted out laughing.

"And, yes, I mean WE. It'll be a little hard to hide when everyone sees you getting out of my car." He chuckled a little.

Veronica hesitated.

"Right?"

"Well, I was thinking that I would drive myself." She looked at the blank look on his face. "I mean, there's no need for you to have to deal with all of this. It'll just be easier this way." She was fidgeting a little.

"What are you talking about, Veronica? How will it be easier to deal with all of this by yourself? That just doesn't make any sense."

"Look, Logan. Either way, I'm going to have to put up with the rumors and comments and graffiti on my locker. There's no reason to involve you in it."

"You think I'm going to let you put up with all of that and sit idly by and what? Just watch as people try to destroy you? You've got to be kidding me?" He was irritated that she would even suggest such a thing.

"Logan, it's no big deal. I've been dealing with this for a year now. Contrary to recent behavior, I'm not the soft girl I used to be. I can and have been handling Neptune High."

"But you don't have to. I can protect you from all of it...or at least, a lot of it." He was talking fast, hoping she would let him finish and would accept reason. If she truly thought that it would make things easier for her to not let people see them together, then he might submit to her wishes.

"I don't want you to protect me!" She was speaking just as fast and her voice was raised. At his hurt look, she continued.

"Look, you have taken care of me this whole week and you have protected me from the world. I appreciate that, I really do, but you've done so much already. You've been a shoulder for me to cry on, over and over again. You've taken care of my physical and emotional needs. You've even gone as far as to open your house to my dad and me."

"Logan, this is my chance to protect you. Let me take care of you for a change." Veronica knew what to expect at school and she didn't want Logan to have to deal with it. Not that he would be ostracized the way she had been, but it would leave him open to a host of rumors and backstabbing.

None of what had happened in the last week had been his fault or had really involved him at all. If he hadn't been there when she found the information on Duncan's journal, he would have never known about it. He never would have been subjected to rumors about being serviced in the Xterra.

If he hadn't been so worried about her after the revelation from Duncan's journal, he never would have come looking for her after Troy had attacked her. He wouldn't have been with her day and night, missing school and subjecting himself to more speculation. He had been there to pick up the pieces and Veronica didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't. She needed to repay him somehow.

Logan couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was trying to throw herself under the bus in an effort to be noble. It frustrated him because he had spent the entire week wishing he could have done more and prevented or taken away some of her pain.

She was still acting like she was on her own. She wasn't convinced that he would be there even at risk to himself. He needed to figure out how to get her to stop thinking that way and understand how much he needed to be there for her. He promised himself that, no matter what, he would never sever their friendship again. He would never treat her the way he had after Lilly died, even if nothing more than friendship developed between them.

"You really want to pay me back for everything I've done for you?" At her nod he continued, "You really want to take care of me and protect me?" He was looking into her eyes letting her know he wasn't playing around. He was serious and he wanted her to know it.

"Yes, Logan. I really do." She was pleading with him.  
"Then let me have this. The best way that you can help me, the best way for you to take care of me is to let me stand by you. Let me do now what I should have done after Lilly died." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly to emphasize his point.

"But, Logan..." She was cut off when he continued.

"Please, Ronnie. Do you want me to be miserable? Because that's what I'll be if you don't let me do this." He waited for her response, but he was preparing himself to continue his argument when she spoke softly.

"Okay, Logan, okay. I'll go on record right now saying that I think it's a bad idea, but if this is what you want, then okay." She looked up at him in time to see his serious, panic-stricken face turn into a giddy smile.

He practically leapt at her, but stopped before he could hurt her. He gave her a light hug.

"Thank you, Ronnie, thank you. You won't regret this." He was whispering into her ear.

She pulled back a little and looked at him. "I may not, but you probably will."

"Don't you worry about me. Like you said, I am the King of Neptune High. My subjects won't mutiny." They laughed. He wasn't willing to let her worry about this or stay depressed. He wouldn't stand for it.

The fear and uncertainty on her face was enough to break his heart; whereas her smile was enough to make his heart skip a beat and her laugh was intoxicating. He would do whatever he could to stay "drunk" on her.

He'd never known a better feeling. He was sure of it now. He had thought that maybe it had just been so long since he'd experienced such happiness and devotion to someone that he'd forgotten. He  
knew now, though, that this was definitely a first.

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On Sunday, Logan and Veronica slept in and ate a late breakfast. They still had some homework to catch up on, but were also expecting Logan's parents to come home. They would be having dinner with them and probably visit for a little while.

Veronica was looking forward to seeing Lynn again. She had always been really great with all of the kids, but Veronica had a special closeness with the woman. In fact, when Lilly and Logan had been dating, there were many times that they would disappear for a while, leaving Veronica alone with Lynn. They would talk and laugh and on occasion, Lynn would plan for them to do something together. There were times when they would help Mrs. Navarro in the kitchen, "helping" with dinner or even dessert. Although Mrs. Navarro was always very accommodating, Veronica knew that her job would have been easier if she and Lynn had stayed out of the way. Their focus had always been on the fun aspects of being in the kitchen, not the actual accomplishment of finishing whatever project they were working on.

There were other times, when Lynn's style team was at the house, that she would include Veronica in on the fun. They would get manicure's together, have their hair done, and anything else that they could do while gossiping away. Veronica often wondered if his mother knew what Logan and Lilly were doing when they stepped out of the room for an hour, but neither ever mentioned it.

Veronica didn't really know what to expect from Aaron. He had never spent a lot of time at home, therefore Veronica had never spent a lot of time around him. He always seemed nice enough, just never around. She guessed she'd at least get a couple of days to get to know him before he left again. She was very grateful to all of the Echolls' for opening up their home to her.

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Veronica had finally felt well enough to actually spend some time in the pool with Logan. She had been spending all of her time in the hot tub in order to help her aching body. Although they weren't horsing around too much, it was still a nice change of pace.

They were playing a 2-person version of 'Marco, Polo' and laughing at how stupid they were when they heard voices.

"Veronica! Oh, honey. It is so great to see you again!" Veronica got out of the pool and grabbed her towel as she headed over to Lynn.

"Mrs. Echolls', It's wonderful to see you, too." The women embraced. Although Veronica was still sore, Lynn's grip wasn't too tight. It only hurt a little.

"Now has it really been so long that you've actually forgotten my name?" Veronica pulled back and gave her a confused look. Lynn continued, "you know as well as anything that my name is Lynn." She gave her a pointed look and they both laughed.

"Yeah, Lynn." Veronica breathed out and her eyes were watery. She felt very emotional about the reunion. It had been so long since she'd felt such care from any adult woman, she didn't realize how much she missed it.

It'd been almost a year since her mom had left town and longer than that since she'd hung out with Lynn. She didn't want to leave the woman's embrace, but finally stepped back and looked up at Aaron, who was standing by his wife.

"Hello, Mr. Echolls. Thank you so much for inviting my dad and me into your home, and for hiring the extra security. It is so generous of you." She was being sincere and hoped that he understood how much they truly did appreciate it. None of the Echolls' had kept contact with the Mars family when Keith was recalled from his position as Sheriff. The fact that they were now offering their help was a big deal.

"Nonsense, anything we can do to help." He gave her that movie star smile of his, then added, "Oh, and Veronica?"  
"Yes?"

"My name is Aaron, in case you forgot." He winked at her and they all laughed.

"Aa...ron, Aa..ron" She pronounced real slowly and then nodded her head showing she had it. They continued to laugh.

When the laughter had died down a bit, Lynn gave Veronica a long look and then sighed. She caressed Veronica's cheek and knowing what she was seeing had been healing for several days already, said "It must have been a good one, huh?" Veronica smiled a little and nodded her head slightly.

"Do you mind?" She said as she motioned to Veronica's towel. Veronica shrugged, turned around and let the towel fall from her body. Her bruises and scrapes, although healing nicely, were still obvious in her bikini.

Logan had been watching the entire interaction silently and cringed when Veronica bared herself to his parents, who both seemed upset. He looked at her face briefly to make sure that she was alright and then looked back at his parents.

There was a sadness and an empathy in his mother's eyes that he knew all too well. She'd felt that kind of pain before and it was something she wished Veronica hadn't shared with her.

When Logan looked to his father, the anger that had been displayed on his face was replaced with something else. He couldn't quite place it until he realized that his father wasn't really concentrating on her bruises anymore. In fact his eyes were scanning her entire body.

"Well, we need to go get changed for dinner. Keith said he really wanted to be home for dinner to thank you personally, so we'd better hurry." He said as he replaced her towel and ushered her out.

"Oh, okay." His mother seemed confused. "We'll see you in a little bit, then."

Logan looked back to see his father still watching them, this time with a small smile on his face. He cringed again, this time thinking about what his father might have been smiling about.

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They had a nice dinner and Keith thanked Lynn and Aaron several times for their help. They visited for a while after they ate until it was time to start winding down for the night. Keith had already told them that he would be leaving again after dinner. He wanted to take as much time as he could, when he knew that Veronica had a lot of protection, to work on finding Troy.

Keith left and Logan and Veronica excused themselves. They still needed to get ready for the school day ahead of them.

Veronica took a shower to rid herself of the chlorine from the pool. She wrapped her towel around her and walked into her bedroom laughing to herself. 'Yeah, I could get used to having a bathroom attached to my room.'

She walked the three feet to the dresser. She bent down to retrieve her pajamas and was about to take her towel off when she heard something behind her. She turned around and jumped at the sight that greeted her. Standing in the now open doorway was Aaron.

"Oh, uh, hi Aaron. I didn't realize you were standing there." She was shocked and embarrassed by the fact that she had been seconds away from being naked in front of him.

"Hey, Veronica. That's alright. Guess I should have made more noise." He was smooth and showed no signs of the awkwardness that Veronica felt.

"Oh, that's alright. I just didn't realize you were there. Is there something that you needed?" Veronica was beginning to feel a different kind of discomfort and she wasn't sure of where it was coming from. She tightened her towel and kept a firm grip on it.

"Huh? Needed?" He was looking at her with a look that she couldn't quite decipher, but she chocked it up to his melodramatic ways. It seemed like he was always putting on a performance, no matter how large or small the crowd. "Oh, wanted. I just wanted to check on you," He said as he walked toward her slowly, pushing the door as he advanced.

"I just wanted to let you know that you can come to me if you need something, anytime day or night. I'll do whatever I can to help you relax and enjoy your stay with us, as best as possible under the circumstances." He had reached her and began to circle behind her. She was frozen in place, her eyes wide and her breaths coming short and shallow.

She was sure she must be reading the situation wrong, but she wasn't sure what to think. He hadn't been embarrassed and retreated when he found her in only her towel. He had, in fact, approached her. The way he was speaking to her was throwing her off balance. The actual words he was saying  
were kind words, but there seemed to be an underlying meaning in them and his tone of voice supported that theory. She didn't know what she should do. She didn't want to completely misread the situation and then embarrass both of them, casting a dark cloud over her stay there.

"You know, this," he said as he softly swept the back of two of his fingers across the scrape on her upper back. "This should never have happened to you. I'm sorry that this boy, Troy, laid his hands on you. You should feel safe," he was still caressing her back and he was standing so close to her that she could swear she felt his breath on her neck. She had chills running across her skin.

"I am here to make you feel safe. I..."

"Veronica?" Aaron stepped away from her as her door opened fully. "Dad? What are you doing in here?" Logan had been passing by Veronica's room when he heard his father's voice. When he stopped to listen, he felt like there was something off about the conversation. He noticed the lack of Veronica's response to his father's statements.

When he decided to intervene and pushed the door open, he was stunned by the view in front of him. Veronica, clutching with white knuckles at a towel around her body, looking like she was in a state a shock. His father was standing at a comfortable distance from her, but he was behind her. Logan wasn't sure what he had interrupted, but he was glad that he had.

"Oh, I was just checking on Veronica. You know, letting her know that we're all here for her." He said, still not leaving the room.

"Oh, uh, that's nice of you." Since his father didn't seem ready to leave, Logan needed to figure out how to get him away from Veronica. "I, uh, just came to ask Veronica if she could help me with one of our class assignments. You know, just trying to make sure I've got everything done before school tomorrow." He wasn't sure that it would work until he finally heard her voice, the first time since he had been listening outside her door.

"Oh, yeah. Let me help you with that," she jumped in quickly as she moved toward him. Then she added over her shoulder, "thanks, Aaron."

She grabbed Logan's hand and led him out of her room toward his. She was tense and moving quickly. They reached his room and he shut the door behind them. He saw her breathe out a sigh of relief and she seemed to be a little shaky.

"So, what was it you needed help with?" She said, looking around the room and avoiding eye contact with him. He walked up to her and gently grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face him.

"Are you alright?" He said, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He could tell she was lying and it concerned him. His father had obviously made her uncomfortable and that was the last thing she needed. He wasn't completely blind. He knew that his father was a ladies man, but Veronica was Logan's age. 'He can't be attracted to her. That would be sick!' Logan thought about the implications of Aaron hitting on an underage girl and he shuttered.

"Well, the fact that you rushed out of your room to come here and help me with school work...in a towel and..." he raised his eyebrow and tilted his head, "nothing else?"

She looked down at herself and immediately blushed. "Yeah, huh."

She didn't know what to say. 'What do you do? Tell the boy who has done so much for you over the past week and opened his home to you, that you think his father is a little creepy? Well, that's the way to be grateful.'

"I, um, forgot about that. So nice of you to point it out, though." They chuckled. "Now, how exactly can I be of assistance?"

"Actually, nothing." When she gave him a confused look, he continued. "I was just passing by your room and heard my dad. I wanted to say goodnight, but when I came in, you looked really uncomfortable. I thought I'd rescue you. So, am I your knight in shining armor now? Cause you know, I could totally pull off the metallic look." He said as he brushed back his hair.  
"Yeah, okay, Logan. Whatever makes you feel better." She didn't want to tell him, but she did feel like he had saved her, in a sense. It's not that she thought she was in any sort of danger with Aaron, just a very awkward situation. Even if she had interpreted his actions correctly, she had no idea what she would have said to him without worsening the situation.

"So, you're agreeing then, right?" He had a playful twinkle in his eye that made her nervous.

"Yeah," she said very slowly, trying to figure out what he was trying to accomplish.

"Well, you know," he was smirking and Veronica narrowed her eyes at him. "It is customary for the Knight who saves the damsel in distress to get some sort of reward." He waggled his eyes and expected her to bust out laughing.

Instead, she looked directly into his eyes. "That's true," she said in a low voice as she moved slowly toward him, stalking him like a lion toward her prey.

"I wonder," speaking quietly as began to circle him dragging one finger along his body as she moved. "Just what type of reward," she had completely circled him and was standing in front of him, "does my Knight deserve?" She squeezed his arm to punctuate her point.

His mouth was dry and his breathing had shallowed. He swallowed audibly awaiting her next move. He looked down at her with an intensity she'd not seen before. He was great at the intense looks, but something was different this time. She watched as his jaw tightened and he gritted his teeth.

She placed her hands on his chest, leaning into him while he stood stoic, following her movements with only his eyes. She slowly glided her cheek across his as her mouth got closer to his ear.

"Thank you." She breathed out, making him lightheaded. As she slowly pulled back, she gently kissed his cheek. She giggled softly and he let out a shaky breath. She began to step away until she felt a pair of strong hands wrap around her hips. She looked into his eyes and suddenly everything got very serious. She stopped giggling, she didn't move an inch.

"Look, I know that I started this little...game," he started slowly, "but, I don't think you understand what you're doing, Ronnie." His voice was at a low rumble.

"What do you mean?" She thought that maybe she'd upset him.

"We decided we needed to wait until after everything settles down before we moved beyond friendship, right?" At her nod, he continued. "And, is that what you still want?" She nodded again.

"Well, then, you need to understand something. Seeing you half naked last week after Troy had hurt you made me more mad than turned on. Do you understand the key word there, Ronnie? More. More mad than turned on, not only mad. That was at a time when you could barely move because of the pain. I could barely touch you."

"Now, though, you choose a time when you are almost healed and next to naked to 'reward me.' I don't think you have any idea of what you are doing to me, and if you don't stop..." He kissed her cheek to let her know he wasn't angry with her, "You see, last week when I saw your body, all I could see was a scenario involving me killing Troy. Right now, all I can see is a scenario where that towel, you know?" He motions to the towel wrapped around her and she nods. "Well, that towel...is pooled on the floor...and you're moaning my name while I'm feasting on all that is you." He pressed his erection against her stomach to prove his point. They had not broken eye contact until that moment, when she blushed furiously and ducked her head.

"I, I, I'm sorry." She didn't know what she was saying or why she was sorry. The only thing she knew was that every inch of her body was tingling from the imagery he had created, the seduction of his voice, and the hardness of his body.

He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so she was making eye contact again.

"There's no need to be sorry. I know that we both want to make sure we're doing the right thing and that we don't ruin our friendship." He was speaking softly to her. "I just thought you should know what you do to me and maybe we can be more careful in the future. Okay?" He leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss on her forehead.

She closed her eyes, "uh-huh, more careful." She felt like she was in a haze that she couldn't snap herself out of.

"Good. So, I'll walk you back to your room and make sure you are visitor-free. Then, you can get dressed and tuck yourself into your own cozy bed...far away from mine." They chuckled.

He walked her back to her room and put his hand on the small of her back as he guided her through the doorway.

"Well, looks like it's all clear. You, my dear, have a good night's sleep and I'll see you in the morning." He tapped her nose with his finger and turned to leave. He stopped when he reached the door and turned back to her, "Ronnie, lock your door, okay?"

She nodded her head and watched him walk away, closing her door as he went. She followed his path and locked her door. She got dressed and climbed into bed thinking only of Logan and the scene that had played out in his room.

Logan made his way to his cold shower and was sure that he had just earned sainthood. He knew that if it had been anyone else or any other time, he would have taken full advantage of the towel-clad situation. He fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming only of her and all that he would like to experience with her.

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SaraLyleth: I know, they are just being dense, huh? As long as I'm around my computer, you've got another 20 some odd chapters coming. I'll keep your ability to keep a secret in mind. How's this... XXX'XX EE IIIIIIIIII TT KKKK TTTT TTTT KKKKKKK V AAA TTTTT HHH TT MMMMMM. Okay, that was a HUGE plot line secret!!! How was that?

xosummerxo: Well...mmmmmmmmm...(sound of me keeping my mouth shut) in regard to your ideas of what is going to happen. I can tell you that Duncan will be a more prominent part of the storyline shortly. See! Look at me, giving up info all over the place. :-)

IluvVM: Well, so glad I am here to entertain you!!! Ok, ok, ok. Honestly, there might be a certain author, who has not updated any of her really great stories since December. Every time I see her around the internet, I e-mail her...just to check in and see if she's any closer to updating and to let her know that I think her writing is worth following up on. She's great about it and replies to my e-mails and keeps me up to date. We jokingly refer to me as her stalker. HEY, I SAID JOKINGLY! Heeheehee. Anyway, I love your reviews, too. Thanks so much!

Literati and naley forever: Ok, since I seem to be in the mood to give out hints today...Duncan will find out about LoVe...but I can't tell you when. Sorry! Thank you for the review. I like when they do normal stuff, too. Although, I like the angst, too. I'm just so split. Let's have a little of both, shall we?

ShmexyShmexyHinny: lol. It sounds like I hurt you. But, yes more, more, more...hey, I even gave you an extra long chapter.

AJzkitten69: Yes, you must have a little bit of fluffy LoVe or really, what do you have:-)

VMLoVeR87: Oh, no, my dear. We have a misunderstanding somewhere. I'm just about done with ch. 45 right now. There will be a couple of chapters after that, but no. You still have at least 3 weeks left of daily updates. So much more to come. We've only just begun. :-)

09nerLoVer: Thank you...and I'm sure I was blushing while writing that scene.

RBDFAN: Thank you!!!

Adja: Look at you, you just keep popping up, don't you. I hope you are enjoying yourself. Hmmm...you will probably be catching up on 3, possibly 4 chapters. Oh, I don't know. There's a lot of action in that amount of chapters. :-)

jennaml2709: anxious much? Yeah, I know. Keep your mittens on, we'll have some more LoVe moments.

Lorelei Candice Black: Well, remember, though. They are still waiting on the test result of the DNA test. Veronica hasn't wanted to face Duncan yet, knowing that they could be siblings. If Logan told Duncan, how could he explain that V didn't want Duncan's involvement without saying too much? Don't worry, Duncan will be informed of things soon enough.

LoVeElle: heeheehee, I KNOW! I like Mrs. Navarro, but I really wish she would have waited just like 10 minutes. What can I do? The characters have a mind of their own! I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much, though.

Lagurlroks: I'm so glad you can actually picture it happening. I write it based on the pictures I see in my head so I'm glad it comes across for you. THANKS!!

LoVeNaleyJamLiterati23: Well, I hope you are enjoying your time at camp...or enjoyed it. Sorry, but I can't stop the update machine. You'll just have to read, read, read:-)


	22. Chapter 22

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 22

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The drive to school on Monday was pretty quiet. They were both tense, not knowing what to expect. Veronica's nerves worsened as they got closer to the school and she was trying to think of anything that would take her mind off of it and maybe buy them some time.

"So, I was reading more information on the application that we sent to the DNA testing center. Apparently, we can get the results online three to five business days after they get the samples. If they received the package on Tuesday, which they should have, then the results should be posted as early as tomorrow or Wednesday."

She looked over and saw Logan beaming back at her. She chuckled and asked him, "What is that," she pointed to his huge, goofy smile, "about?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad something good came out of this Troy stuff. He served as an excellent distraction." She laughed. "Just think, if that hadn't happened, you would have spent all week worrying about the test results and driving yourself crazy about the implications of the those results and how you would react, etc, etc, etc."

"That's true. I just never took you for a silver lining type of guy, Logan." She was still laughing and shaking her head at his thought process.

What Logan didn't tell her was that he had an entirely different reason for the big smile. She had said "WE can get the results online..." She didn't say, "I". Step by step, she was becoming more invested in them and whatever their relationship would be. It showed a greater trust than he'd known from her in a long time. He couldn't be happier, but he didn't want to alert her to the fact that she was falling into his web. He wanted her to be completely vested in them before he let on to what was happening.

"You ready?" He asked her as they pulled into a parking spot.

"No, but it'll have to do. No turning back now." She gave him a weak smile and he squeezed her hand.

They got out and began walking toward the school. They stood close, but not too close, and they didn't touch at all. All eyes were on them, but no one said a word. When they walked through the doors of the school, they received the same reaction.

"What's going on?" Veronica whispered to Logan when they arrived at her locker. Before he could answer, Dick came strolling up to them and she squared her shoulders, ready for anything he had to say.

"Dude, Logan, what's going on man?" He said loudly, then added a little more quietly, "Veronica." He nodded his head toward her in greeting and she stood shell-shocked, her mouth gaping like a guppy.  
"You missed some great waves this weekend." He was conversing easily, like they weren't in some alternate reality.

"Yeah, I figured they were probably pretty good. The weather was great." Logan wasn't regretting the waves he had missed, just making conversation.

"Hey, anyway, I gotta head out. Madison's waiting for me. See you guys at lunch." He yelled as he jogged off, presumably toward Madison.

"Okay, Logan, what was that?" Veronica turned on him.

"Well, I made a couple of calls on Saturday, after our little talk. I didn't tell you about it because I wasn't sure if it had worked. So far, if Dick is any measure, it worked pretty well." He shrugged.

"What did you tell them?" She wasn't upset that he had kept it from her, she understood his reasoning. She probably would have done the same thing, if she'd been in his position.

"I just told them that I had screwed up when I turned on you and that I've snapped out of it. I kind of told them that if they wanted to stay friends with me, they would lay off of you." He had more than kind of told them. He'd actually threatened them in every conceivable way, but she didn't need to know that.

"Wow." She stood, staring into space.

"Wow? That's it?" He was obviously joking with her, but feigned appalled.

"Wow...Yeah, that's all I got. I'm totally speechless. Thank you, Logan." She smiled up at him when she heard the one and only.

"Yo, Supafly! What's going on, girl? Where you been?" He hugged her.

"Ah, my BFF. Oh, Wallace, I meant to call you several times. Some stuff came up, though. I will fill you in on all of it, but first, I need to tell you something."

"Okay, Shoot." He spared a glance over at Logan, who seemed to be standing closer to Veronica than he'd ever seen. It was almost as if he was actually standing with Veronica, but that was impossible.

"Well, remember Logan, here?" She tilted her head toward the taller boy.

"Uh, crowbar-wielding, Obligatory Psychotic Jackass, Logan Echolls? Uh, yeah, he seems familiar. What's going on?" He was utterly confused about what Logan Echolls had to do with anything that involved his best friend.

"Yeah, that's the one. Well, it seems that he and I have buried the hatchet, in a manner of speaking...and not in each other's backs." She gave him a half smile and shrugged. "Seems we are friends again." She had no idea how to say it so that Wallace would understand. She barely understood.  
Before Wallace could protest and list all of Logan's sins against Veronica, he spoke up.

"Look, Wallace, I've been an ass. I admit it and I'm sorry. Veronica and I have spent a lot of time lately mending our friendship and I'm doing everything I can to make up the last year to her. You were here for her when no one else was and I thank you for that. You had her back when I should have. I understand your apprehension, all I'm asking for is a chance." Logan waited for the punch to the face he was sure was going to come. He watched Wallace look at Veronica's hopeful expression, then he watched as the boy's anger began to melt away.

Wallace shook his head and blew out a deep breath. "Okay, man, you've got one chance. Don't screw it up or I swear you'll regret it with every fiber of your being. This better not be some sick, twisted joke."

"It's not, I swear. Thanks, Man." Logan held out his fist. After a short moment, Wallace hit it with his own fist.

The bell rang and they all had to get to class. "So, I'll see you at lunch?" Veronica asked Wallace.

"Absolutely, same time, same place, right?" He questioned as he glanced toward Logan. At her nod, he added, "Good, then you can tell me what's really been going on."

"Sounds good." She watched him walk off, then turned to Logan. "So, I'll see you later?" She didn't want to put any specifications on when they needed to meet up. He had his friends, she had hers (at least her one).

"Not so fast, Missy. I'm walking you to class." He raised his eyebrow at her.

"You don't have to do that."

"Yes, I do. Have you forgotten? There is still a psycho ex-boyfriend stalker of yours on the loose. No need to take my eyes off of you again. Do you need to go to the bathroom before class? I don't want you having to go during class. And, I don't want you walking to your next class until I come to get you. Do you understand? If you are missing when I come to find you, I'll know immediately that something is wrong."

She was shocked at how much planning he'd done and how serious he was. Normally she would have argued, he was being a bit of a Neanderthal, but all she could do was nod in agreement.

"Alrighty, then, Miss Mars. Let's go."

The morning went as planned. Then, when Logan was walking Veronica to lunch she said, "Look, I don't even know how to ask you this because I don't want to assume anything and I don't want to hurt you." He looked at her with a frown on his face.

"Well, you've got my undivided attention. Proceed."  
"I just, well, I don't know where you were going to sit at lunch today, but I was hoping to get a few minutes alone with Wallace. I don't want to assume that you were going to sit with us, which I'd love. I just haven't spent any time with Wallace in over a week after having practically dropped off of the face of the earth. I feel like we need a little time to reconnect. It really has nothing to do with you, you know how much I love spending time with you. And, maybe you weren't even planning on sitting with me and I've just gone and assumed all of this..." She was rambling quickly and Logan wasn't sure if she would ever give him a chance to talk, so he interrupted her.

"Look, Veronica." She stopped talking when he spoke and pulled her to a stop in the hall. "I was going to sit with you because I love spending time with you, too. I do understand your reasoning and I'm not hurt...as long as this isn't an every day thing. If things go as I plan, then Wallace, you and I should all be getting very chummy soon enough." He smirked at her.

"Don't worry about it. It will give me a chance to catch up with my friends, too. Although, after all of the questions I'm going to be answering, I may never forgive you." They laughed.

"Okay, same rules apply. You do not leave my sight...AND, if I see you being led away from the quad by anyone at all, be prepared. I will hunt you down like a dog until I find you!" He was being playful, but they both knew how much truth was in his statement.

"Thank you. I know you will." She smiled softly at him and they continued on to their lunch tables. 

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Veronica spent the entire lunch hour filling Wallace in on the events that had happened since the previous Tuesday. Logan watched from across the quad as she moved her sleeves up and twisted her shirt to show Wallace the remains of her bruises. He could see a seething look of disgust take over Wallace's face. It was a feeling Logan knew all too well, courtesy of the same little blonde.

He watched as she continued to talk and saw the surprise written across the boy's face as he returned Logan's gaze. Logan wished he could be there, listening to her description of events and getting the chance to defend or apologize for whatever part he'd played in those events.

When the bell rang, Logan sprang to his feet and was at their table before they even stood. He looked at Wallace with apprehension as the boy rose to his feet and stood in front of Logan.

"You know, I gotta tell you. I'm sorry about this morning, Logan. Had I known everything that V just told me, I wouldn't have given you a hard time. Thank you for taking care of her. I am totally in your court after everything I just heard." He patted Logan on the shoulder.

"Well, you know how it is. Ronnie is a difficult person to not take care of." Veronica and Wallace shot him shocked looks. "Uh, you know...when you're not being a jackass." They all laughed.

"I told Wallace about everything that happened on Tuesday with Troy and everything since then. I told him that you were also there for me on Monday when I got some life-altering news, but that I am still processing it and I'm not ready to discuss it. He will be the first, well second, well next to know." They busted out laughing.

"Whoa, V! Don't get too mushy there. I'd hate to have to step back from our relationship due intimacy issues. I don't know if I have them, but you've had enough for the both of us and I don't know what I'd do if you went too soft."

"Har-dee-har-har! Yeah, laugh it up guys." Veronica rolled her eyes and started walking to class.

They split up, Wallace heading to his class and Logan and Veronica heading to Journalism.

"Hey, I heard a rumor about this, but what's going on with you two?" They turned to see Duncan standing behind them. His words were light, but the look on his face showed a much deeper interest in their answer.

It was the first time Veronica had seen Duncan since finding his journal. Logan noticed all of the color drain from her face and the way she swayed a little like she might faint.

"Let's sit down, then we'll talk, okay?" Logan was still wanting to avoid Duncan as much as possible, knowing that they weren't ready to speak to him. They needed to know what the test results were before they could have any sort of a real conversation with him.

"Ronnie and I have decided to be friends again." Logan said after they were seated at the table in the center of the Journalism room.

"Really? Huh. That's, uh, good." Duncan had no idea what to make of all this, especially after they had both missed so much of the last week of school.

"Yeah, we ended up working on Lilly's video together and were able to mend some fences." Logan said as he squeezed Veronica's leg under the table, letting her know that everything would be okay. She gave him an imperceptible smile.

"Well, that's...great. Congratulations." They were all relieved when the teacher started talking and handing out assignments for the week.

The rest of the school day went as the morning had. Logan would drop off and pick up Veronica at each class. 

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When they walked into Logan's house, they were met by his parent's. They all said hello and Lynn and Aaron inquired as to the first day back at school. Also, they checked on how Veronica was feeling and let her know that her dad was working the case, but she could reach him via cell phone, if needed.

"The water's great, you kids going to do some swimming?" Aaron was asking them both, but looked only at Veronica.  
"No, we've got to get to our homework. We've still got catching up to do." Logan answered before Veronica could even process the question. "We'll see you at dinner," he called as he dragged Veronica to his bedroom.

"They will be leaving again tomorrow. It's publicity in Europe, so they should be gone for a little while. Hopefully long enough for your dad to catch Troy, and you guys to move back home." Logan told her after he'd closed his bedroom door.

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Echolls? Am I that bad of a roommate?" She knew exactly what he meant, but was toying with him.

"Ha ha, funny girl. Now, get to work." He said as he took her bag from her and set it on his bed. He walked over to the desk and opened one of his books. He would keep her close to him at all times, if he could. The sooner, though, that she was out of his house, the sooner she was safe from Troy and away from his father's lecherous looks.

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Tuesday morning worked exactly like Monday had, except for all the tension and uncertainty they'd had about going to school. They knew what to expect on Tuesday and it wasn't so bad. The day had also gone much like Monday, with the exception of Logan sitting with Veronica and Wallace for lunch.

When they got to Logan's house, they said their goodbye's to Aaron and Lynn, then went to Logan's room.

They'd been having a great day. They'd been talking and laughing, and although Logan was still on the lookout for Troy, they seemed to have a pretty good day. That changed the moment they logged onto the DNA testing center's website and Veronica entered in her personal information. They were completely silent while waiting to see if the test results were posted.

The screen refreshed and there they were. One click of the mouse and she would know. She moved the arrow over the link for the results and then stopped. She took her shaky hand away from the computer and stood up. She paced around the room for a minute and blew out a big breath. She looked at Logan, who was looking at her like she was a wild animal that he had to treat with care.

They stared at each other, each waiting for the other to do or say something until Logan finally broke the tension.

"Are you okay? Do you still want to do this?" He said, almost hoping that she would say no. He had thought about these results since she'd mentioned them the morning before. He wasn't sure what he was hoping.

If she ended up being a Kane, that would mean that she did have sex with her brother, unknowingly of course. But, it would still be horrible for her. She may not remember the night she lost her virginity, but she remembered all of the months prior. The months that she'd loved, kissed and held Duncan.  
On the other hand, if she weren't a Kane, that would mean a whole other kind of heartbreak. Logan's heartbreak. He now knew that the only reason his best friend had broken up with her was because he was told she was his sister.

Logan knew that Duncan had been head over heels in love with Veronica pretty much since they'd met. He'd also seen the way Duncan looked longingly at her, but he'd chosen to ignore it. If it came back that Duncan and Veronica were not related, Logan was sure Duncan would want Veronica back.

The thought made him sick every time he imagined it. He remembered how great they were together and how cute they were. They weren't like Lilly and Logan, public displays of humiliation served up for lunch in the middle of the quad.

Duncan and Veronica had been sweet and caring toward each other. They had respected each other in front of others. Logan knew that he couldn't compete with Duncan and that, if he and Veronica weren't related, it would only be a matter of time before they were back together.

It was difficult, but Logan knew that he would rather they weren't related. Although Logan would be miserable, Veronica would be so much happier. That's what mattered. Logan had spent a year making her miserable, he would spend the rest of their time together trying his hardest to make her happy. Even if that meant seeing her back with Duncan.

Logan had made a promise to himself and Veronica. He would not be deserting her again, no matter what. He was in for the duration, even if it killed him.

She was wringing her hands together and looking at him with wide eyes.

"I can't look, Logan, will you?"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I can't sit still long enough to wait for them to come up. Even if I could, my mind is bouncing all over and I wouldn't be able to decipher what they were saying anyway.

"Okay, here we go then," Logan said as he clicked on the link.

The screen refreshed again and Veronica watched as Logan read the results. She had to hold back the tears when she saw his eyes stop and the blood drain from his face. He sat staring at the screen for another moment, then turned his dark eyes on her.

"Well, who's my daddy?" The joke fell flat as she wiped away a couple of tears. She knew by the look on Logan's face that it wasn't good news. 

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Reviewers: OK, so I totally ran out of time today. I'm posting this without my normal responses to your reviews. I'll catch up next time, but it usually takes me a solid hour to respond. So, in order to get the ch out, I figured I would forego the responses right now. Sorry and thanks for all of your reviews. Welcome to the couple of newbies. :-)


	23. Chapter 23

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 23

A/N: I don't own The Perisher's or anything else, really.  
Well, I do own the idea for the sex trapeze (I'm just kidding! Did you forget what story you were reading? There is no room here for a sex trapeze, geez.

A/N2: For those of you are Americans in the USof A sense, Happy 4th of JULY!!!! Yea!!! For those of you who aren't, I'm sorry, no fireworks for you. Although, I'm sure if you wanted to celebrate our Independence, your neighbors would understand the fireworks display. :-) Love ya!!! I'm off to firework it up myself. Shout out to all of our Men and Women stationed around the world.

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"So, tell me, Logan. Am I Neptune's own incestuous little tramp?" She was joking, but the rigidity of her body showed how terrified she truly was.

He hated the way she was feeling about herself. He wanted to jump up and down and put her out of her misery, but he just couldn't. He was shell-shocked and didn't know if he could speak at all. Somehow, he finally found the strength, cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak.

"With 99.6 percent accuracy, you are most certainly NOT...," the tears she'd been fighting to hold back began to flow freely when she knew his next words were going to be 'Keith Mars' daughter.'

Imagine her surprise when he finished his sentence with, "Neptune's own incestuous anything!" He gave her a shaky smile.

"What? What did you say?" Veronica wasn't sure what she'd heard. All she knew was that it didn't match the words that had been playing on a loop in her mind.

"I said that you are not an incestuous anything and you are most definitely Keith Mars' daughter." At her still shocked face he continued, "Veronica, you're a Mars."

He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting. Her collapsing on the ground, pouring out joyful sobs, had not been it. He rushed over to her and held her as all of the tension she'd been feeling about Duncan just melted away. Sure, there were still things to deal with, but the most important issue was out of the way.

She wasn't sure why she was making such a scene. She was happy. It should be a time of for jumping up and down, yelling at the top of her lungs, dancing through the house, jumping into the pool with all of her clothes on. Instead, she was once again, reduced to a blubbering, teary mess on Logan's shoulder.

When the tears finally began to slow, she pulled back an looked into his eyes. She was getting ready to thank him again for being her support through the storm, the wind beneath her wings, the Teller to her Penn, and some other sappy stuff when he spoke up.

"You know, we've really got to stop meeting like this. And don't think you're getting out of the shopping trip I'm going to have to take to replace all these shirts you're ruining!" They laughed. She sniffled and then took a long, deep breath.  
"Logan, you have no idea of how relieved I am. There is a very small part of me, though, that wishes on some level, that Lilly and I had been sisters. But, that is a very small part of me. Every other part of me is screaming for joy.

He chuckled a little, but there was a tenseness to it that Veronica did not miss.

"What's wrong, Logan? You don't seem real happy." Veronica couldn't figure out what could be worrying him. This was only good news.

"N-Nothing." He'd been caught and he mentally kicked himself. He was happy for her, he just knew what this meant for him. "I, I just...You know. It's been a big cloud hanging over the last week and now it just hasn't really hit me yet. I'm very happy for you, Veronica." He was trying to be as chipper as possible.

"Yeah, me too!"

"So, uh, what are you going to do now?" Logan was afraid to ask, but he had to know.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what are you going to do about Duncan? Are you going to tell him that you're not related?" His voice was a little shaky, but she didn't notice.

"Of course! I can imagine the Hell he's been in thinking that he slept with his own sister. I wouldn't want him to live the rest of his life with that hanging over his head. It just wouldn't be fair. Although, I'm not really looking forward to the conversation about how I know, but it's got to be done."

"Do you want me to go with you? When are you going to talk to him?" Logan wanted to know how much time he had left with Veronica. He figured that if he were there for the conversation it would keep Duncan and Veronica from reuniting immediately. He knew he was being a manipulative ass, but he wasn't ready to lose her yet. It would come soon enough, he just wanted a little longer with her.

"I'll talk to him at lunch tomorrow. I don't want to let this go for a moment longer than necessary. There are two huge problems hanging over my head right now. The sooner I can focus on one, the better. And, although I'd love to have you there for support, I think I need to talk to him on my own. I don't want him to feel like we've been plotting against him. I'll tell him that you know and it was an accident that either of us found out. If we both talk to him, he may feel like we're ganging up on him. I just want it to be as comfortable of a conversation as it can be." She laughed. "Not that it's going to be real comfy, but no need to add fuel to the fire."

"Yeah, you're probably right. We'll just have to work it out so that you aren't out of my sight or by yourself, okay? We still have problem number two hanging over our heads and we need to remember that." He felt sick to his stomach. Tonight was it. Tonight was the last time he would have with the possibility of more than friendship. After the conversation with Duncan, they would still be friends, but Logan's hopes for more would be dashed.  
"Well, let's celebrate, Mars. What would you like to do on your first night knowing you haven't committed incest." He smirked and she burst out laughing.

"Wow, words that I never thought I'd hear...ever!" Veronica continued to giggle. "It sounds like some twisted joke."

"So, what will it be? Would you like to go to the movies, out for dinner, uh, bowling?" He was talking fast and was using his voice to mimic that of a game show announcer. "Hmmm. Skating? Sculpting? Beach? Skydiving? Hot air balloon ride?"

"Okay, okay, stop." She chuckled. "I know it's boring, but do you mind if we just stay around here and hang out. We can go out if you want, I'm just a little tired." The truth was she was tired, but she'd do anything he wanted as long as they were spending time together. He was fast becoming a second best friend for her. She was addicted to spending time with him and didn't really care what the circumstances were.

"No, that sounds great to me." He said softly and smiled down at her. He would rather be alone with her. He didn't really want to share her with anyone, let alone the outside world. Plus, his parents weren't home and Keith would be at the office for a couple more hours. They had alone time and he promised himself that he would cherish every minute of it.

A little while later, Keith called and told them that he had a lead on Troy in Mexico and would be heading down there to check it out. He made sure that they were keeping the security system on and that the guards were still there. He told Logan to take care of his little girl and that he hoped to be back very soon. Hopefully, he'd be introducing Troy to his first 'All-County Felons Prom.'

"Yeah, that'd be good." Logan chuckled.

Keith had a packed bag in his car for these types of occasions and would just take off from the office.

When they ended the phone call, Logan and Veronica made plates from the enchiladas Mrs. Navarro had made them, and went up to his room. They turned on some music, and decided to play cards. They were so busy talking and laughing that neither was paying much attention to the game. With the paternity issue solved and the security of the house, they felt more carefree than they had since initially finding Duncan's journal.

"Good thing we're not playing for real money. We're playing so badly that I'm sure we'd both figure out how to lose all of our money, even without a third player. The winner would be the one that sucked the least." Veronica observed and they both laughed again.

When the laughing they had died down, Logan nonchalantly asked her, "You know, we could always play strip poker." She looked up at his innocent eyes.

They laughed again. "Yeah, that's one way we could both lose everything! Nice try, Echolls."

"Well, can't blame me for trying." He snapped his fingers, "Shucks."  
All the sudden Veronica stopped and turned her ear to the music and the song that was just beginning. "Oh, I love this song."

It was 'Sway' by The Perishers.

'I talk to you at though a friend,  
I hope that's what you've come to be..'

Logan looked at her and decided that he didn't want to miss the opportunity of dancing with her. He stood up and held his hand out to her.

"Well, friend. I suggest that as part of our celebration, we dance to this song of yours." He shrugged. He was being as casual as he could while trying to hide the nervous teenage boy that was rearing to get out.

She took his hand and stood. "I think that is an excellent idea, Logan Echolls."

He placed his arms on her petite waist while she wrapped hers around his neck, and they began to move together. The playful attitude they had shared throughout the evening was gone the minute they touched. Their eyes met and locked.

Logan's stare was so intense and there was so much emotion in his eyes. Veronica felt like she was getting a glimpse into his soul and what she found there overwhelmed her.

There was so much that she wanted to tell Logan, but where could she start. She was grateful to him for everything he'd done for her. He had made her feel protected and safe when she was at her lowest. He'd given her someone, besides her father and herself, that she could completely rely upon. She had Wallace, but he didn't know her deep, dark secrets.

Logan and Veronica had seen the worst in each other and yet here she stood, wrapped in his arms, feeling more confident about him than she'd ever felt about anyone. She trusted him. She knew how horrible he could be, but after everything they'd shared, she trusted him with all that was her.

She never would have chosen to bare her emotional soul to him like she'd been forced to in the last 10 days, but it was worth it. To see the boy she once knew in him, and the man that he was becoming, was well worth it. She actually felt blessed to have gone through this with him.

She didn't feel like he had been there for her during these trials, she felt like he had been going through them right along with her. He may not have the physical bruises to show his active involvement, but she felt like he'd been the other half of her through the entire process. She knew it was ridiculous because he could have never known, never been affected by any of it. He did know, though, and he made himself an active participant in the pain, panic, fear, sorrow and healing.

As they continued to dance, their bodies moved closer and their embrace grew tighter. They hadn't broken their gaze when tears filled Veronica's eyes.

"What is it, Veronica?" Logan didn't know what was going on. She didn't look upset and nothing had happened. 'Why is she crying? What are the wheels in her mind wrapped around?'

"I-I, I" She stuttered out, then her eyes grew wide. She knew exactly what she wanted to say to him. 'Is it possible?'

"You what, Ronnie? Whatever it is, it's okay. You can tell me anything." His voice was so tender and the care that shown brightly in his gaze, made her melt.

"It's just, I think...No, I know...Well, I. There's something I want to tell you and my mouth isn't cooperating." She could feel it, she knew it.

'How hard can it be to tell him that you want to be with him. You need him. You don't want to wait for circumstances to change. It's not a passing fancy. Logan...I love you. I am so utterly, head over heels, you jump, I jump, off my rocker in love with you.'

"Argh, how did this happen?" She was shocked by her own admission that she had fallen in love with him.

"How did what happen?" Veronica was shocked when Logan spoke. She hadn't realized that she had spoken that question out loud.

Meanwhile, Logan had been watching the war behind her eyes. It was obvious that she was struggling with what she wanted to say.

"I, I'm. Logan...I'm...not alone." She let out a big sigh. 'Yeah, big chicken right here, Ladies and Gentlemen.'

"No, Veronica, you're not alone." Logan couldn't be happier. He was flying high. How could he not be? One of their biggest issues was trust. The fact that she trusted him enough to know that he was there for her was huge. "If I have anything to say about it, you never will be again."

The song ended and he gave her a warm squeeze. "Let's get ready for bed and then we'll put in a movie. Your choice, okay?" She nodded and they separated.

'I'll tell him tomorrow. After I deal with Duncan, I'll tell him.' Veronica thought as she walked toward her bedroom.

When they were both ready for bed, they met back in his room and Veronica started the movie. It wasn't even a question when they both climbed under the covers and immediately found each other. She automatically laid her head on his outstretched arm and his response was to wrap her into his embrace. She moaned contentedly and he kissed her head.

She was asleep five minutes later and Logan couldn't believe how beautiful she was. How had he ever thought that anyone compared to Veronica. Lilly may have been more developed, but Veronica's beauty was undeniable. She was beautiful, externally and internally.

"Lilly had nothing on you, Veronica. You are so beautiful." Logan whispered the words he wanted to tell her, but would never have the chance to after her talk with Duncan.

He had promised himself that he would cherish every minute of that night and he did. He watched her sleep, he told her how much she meant to him, what he'd thought of her when they'd first met. He told her how beautiful she was and how lucky he'd been that she had forgiven him. He told her how much he wished that they could stay just as they were forever and how he ached for the time they spent together.

Right before he passed out around three a.m., he told her that he didn't know how he'd ever be able to fill the void she was sure to leave in his heart.

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The next morning, Veronica woke with a smile and a unending warmth. She opened her eyes and was looking directly into the sleeping face of the boy who had literally been the boy of her dreams.

"Mmmm. I remember this dream. It was a good one." Veronica sighed happily.

She looked at his mused hair and his toned arms and the slight smile that played on his face. The expression on his face was so soft and carefree. She thought back to that first night when she thought he was drunk. She was reminded of what she felt when she'd watched him then.

"I love you, Logan Echolls," she whispered. 'Yeah, now I'm brave...when he's dead to the world and there's no way for him to freak.'

She looked at the clock and knew she needed to start getting ready for school. She began to pull away from Logan, but his grip only tightened. Then, when she stopped moving, he snuggled further into her. In her new position, he was now nuzzling into her breasts. He moaned, kissed the top of her right breast and then snuggled in again.

Veronica knew she needed to get out of this before she forgot that he was asleep and didn't know what he was doing. 'Here I go again, thinking about all of the ways I could take advantage of a sleeping Logan.'

"Logan?" She said his name softly. When he didn't respond she said it a little louder and then shook him a bit.

"Huh?" He said gruffly while trying to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes and Veronica saw his eyebrows knit together as he tried to focus. When he finally focused and was awake enough to realize that he was staring straight at Veronica's tank top covered breast, he smiled sheepishly and moved his eyes up her body until he saw her blue eyes shining back at him.

"Oops," he said as he chuckled.

"Yeah, oops." Veronica said as she looked away, the blush apparent all over her face and neck. "It's time to get ready for school," she added as she tried to calm herself.  
"Okay," he said as they began to untangle themselves. They got out of bed and started walking toward their own bathrooms. On her way out the door, Veronica heard Logan say something about the best sight he'd ever woken up to, but she let it slide and continued walking.

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RBDFAN: And, there's your answer:-) And, yes, Aaron and Troy. Poor V has to deal with two psychos.

lagurlroks: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yes, I think I'm just slow. I always want to really read what you guys have to say and respond appropriately. Plus, I get excited by you guys' involvement in the story. I love it. And, Happy 4th to you, too! I've cleaned one bathroom, gotten mostly caught up on laundry, mowed the lawn, weed whacked (sp?), dusted the main part of the house and my bedroom, vacuumed on Monday and started to organize food. Still have to vacuum again, finish food prep, clean another bathroom, set up outside furniture, pick up dog poop (husband's job), paint one of the daughters' toe nails, empty dishwasher, finish laundry, cut up watermelon, fill pinata, put business files away, hide sex toys and buy more fireworks. Not that you care, but it's a nice little to-do list that I can refer back to when needed. :-)

Literati and naley: Weevil will make appearances, but they will be limited. I really try to hold firm to my opinion that all characters and their actions within the story should serve only to further the LoVe. Heeheehee! BTW, I don't think I've ever compared creepy Aaron to creepy Beav. I will have to consider this.

Emjay91: Well, I have to tell you...before VM, before JD and KB (mostly JD) and before LoVe, I have NEVER been as committed (some might call it obsessed) with a show like I am this one. I never knew that there were fan sites or fan fiction out there. I have stepped into a whole different reality! Thanks!

copperboom321: Welcome. So glad to hear from you. I'm glad you like it and hope you continue to enjoy it. Thanks!!!

sarca666: Yea!!! I love that you feel that way. I've been writing the story since the beginning of March and I am working on ch. 46 now. Posting these chapters has given me a chance to read things that were written months ago, now. It's been great. I actually stayed up really late Monday night (cough cough 3:30 am Tuesday morning cough cough) because I got caught up in my own story!! I've just forgotten a lot of the details of what I'd written and I'm really enjoying reading them. Oh, just wait...I can't tell you, but a lot is about to happen, very quickly. Knowing how you've responded so far, I think you might like what's to come.

Lorelei Candice Black: Well, here's your answer. TTTT WWWW FFFF OOO SSSSSS TTTT II CCCCC, BBB HH WWW'T TTT TT GGG HHH II TTT SSSS WWW. Whew! I've been waiting to get that one off of my chest. Love ya! Thanks for the review. Ok, so I can forgive you for being a VDer (snickers). As for your paternity questions, I served them up on a silver platter just for you in this chapter. :-)

shetlandlace: WELCOME to VM and fanfic. I am so honored to be your first. There are a lot of great stories out there. I've never been a writer, but was inspired to try because of some of those great stories. Thanks so much for the review.

ShmexyShmexyHinny: heeheehee, you're a greedy one, aren't you? Ah, that's all right. So am I when it comes to fanfic. As you wish...

2honest4myowngood: ah, I've always wanted to be crispy, flavorful and fruitilicious. Oh, wait...we were talking about the story, huh? Yeah, thanks. :-) Anyway, hope your babysitting adventures went ok. Thanks!! Oh, so yeah, the discussion with Duncan is coming. Thanks!!

SaraLyleth: Well, good thing. If you'd cracked on the first go, I would have been sorely disappointed in myself! I am so glad to have had the pleasure of creeping you out. It is a joy of mine. And, yes, Aaron is disgusting. The ego he must have to do something like that. I mean, really, who does that? Oh, btw, JD rescues me on a regular basis...in my dreams!!

09nerLoVer: Yes, my man Logan...Ready, Set, Save. Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

xosummerxo: Whew! The girl knows how to give a review! I love hearing what you like and what you're thinking about different aspects of the story. By now you know that Aaron was not waiting for her. I look at him as more of trying to seduce her, not like he would rape her...unless...well, we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks again. So, you are a sick little puppy, aren't you? You just want all the sick twists...I think I like ya!!!

LoveElle: Oh, I know!!! Why did Logan have to be a gentleman? I, too, would like them to just hurry up and get on with it. Unfortunately, Logan and Veronica do what they want. They never listen to me. I'm at a loss as to what to do with them, really. :-)

VMLoVeR87: yes, hero Logan is better than sliced bread! And, yes, Aaron is a total creep-oid. Of course, I am willing to admit that S1 reveal of Aaron as Lilly's murderer COMPLETELY shocked me! My sister had it nailed a couple of months earlier. Me, not so much!! Loved it though. Thanks! Hey, don't know what time zone you are in...it's still morning on the West Coast. Hopefully I got it to you in time! Sorry you got stuck working today!

Miss-Mars: Dun dun dun...dun dun...dun dun dun...dun...dun dun...dun dun dun dun...dun dun. Ok, if you didn't recognize the completely obvious harmony, that would be from the Jeopardy song. Don't you worry, though. I have it on good authority that things are going to pick up pretty quickly and "something" will happen. I don't make any promises as to what "something" or "somethings" as the case may be...is. winks

IluvVM: hey, I will have you know that MY author likes having her very own stalker. It makes her feel special! Anyway, hope you're enjoying still. Sorry I'm a ch late on review responses. I know that we share a special bond, you know with all of the love being spread around. lol Hey, so happy to have confused you. Anyway, this chapter gave you all of your answers. Ask and Ye Shall Receive.

jennaml2709: hey, I've got 3 kids and had 2 miscarriages. You don't get that kind of record from being a tease...I put out! Heeheehee!

AJzkitten69: all of the emotions I want you to feel, creepy, cold chill, yuckiness and pure, hard, lust. A good combination, don't you think?

EpicLoVeFan: Thank you, thank you and thank you!!! A bit more Logan/Wallace to come. Hope you enjoy!

VmarSAaddict: Well, thank you. This is actually my first fic for anything. I don't really consider myself much of a writer. I only started this story because I felt like all of the great writers out there weren't producing anymore...at least, not at the speed at which I wanted to consume the stories. I figured, it they weren't going to feed my obsession, I'd have to self-medicate. Once this story is finished, though, I plan to start working on another. I already have a lot of ideas floating around in my head and I think the premise of the story is a little different than what we've seen a lot of. It'll take a little while. I'd like to have a good 20 chapters of the new one written before I start posting. I figure, give myself about 6 weeks once I'm done with DL. By then, I should have enough of the new one to start posting...HOPEFULLY! Anyway, thanks!


	24. Chapter 24

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 24

A/N: Don't hate me because I'm beautiful (for those who don't know that is a line from an 80's(?) commercial), hate me because I'm pure evil. By the way...Love you! And, remember, I'm in this with you. I get just as worked up as you do...even if I know where things are going.

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Logan and Veronica were the vision of opposite on their way to school Wednesday morning. She was downright chipper. She knew that she was going to talk to Duncan today and, outcome be damned, this whole thing would be behind her. Once they talked and the day was over, she would talk to Logan. She was hoping that they would end tonight cuddling not in comfort and friendship, but as a couple. She couldn't wait.

When she'd first realized that she loved him the night before, she been shocked and a little scared of it. Now, though, she was just excited. She knew that Logan would not return her exact sentiments, but she just wanted to let him know what he really meant to her. She didn't want to wait any longer. There were so many things she should have said to Lilly before she died. So many things that Lilly didn't say to her, like what her big secret was.

Veronica knew, all too well, how easily people could be taken out of your life, whether by death or desertion. She'd experienced both personally. Until her rekindled relationship with Logan, she had taken that as a reason to pull back, to not let anyone in. It was the perfect excuse to be suspicious, careful, untrusting.

She was seeing things differently now. Although she wouldn't be baring her soul to just anyone, she had a new urgency regarding the people she cared about. They were few and far between, but she felt that she needed to not let things go unsaid. She needed to seize and appreciate every minute she had with those people.

She had decided that after school would be that time for her and Logan. She wanted to know that, if something happened to him, he had no doubts about where she stood and how she felt about him.

Logan's poor mood, on the other hand was directly related to the same event as Veronica's ecstatic mood. He was trying to prepare himself for the sight of Duncan and Veronica together, but it wasn't going over well.

Had Veronica not been so wrapped up in her own bliss, she would have noticed his dark demeanor. She was too involved in her own thoughts to see anything, but a bright future. It was so rare for her to have that outlook that she was going to bask in it for as long as possible.

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The morning had gone just as the previous two. Logan would drop off and pick up Veronica from each of her classes. She stopped looking at it as being babysat so much, and was focused solely on the benefit of getting to see Logan between each class.

When lunch came, Logan walked Veronica out to the quad very slowly, although she kept trying to rush it. Before they left the building, he pulled her to the side so that they could make a plan.

She would walk to the far side of the quad so that her conversation with Duncan wasn't on display, but she was still in Logan's line of vision. If she needed help, she would just signal and he'd be there.

When Logan got to his table, he would quietly tell Duncan that Veronica needed to talk to him and point him in her direction. He felt like he was directing Duncan to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and just handing over an amazing treasure to him. Although, he knew that Veronica wasn't his to give away to anyone, he felt the loss all the same.

Logan and Veronica continued into the quad and went through each step as planned. Logan watched Duncan walk toward the waiting Veronica. He felt for her as he watched the worry and nervousness take over her features and he wished he could give her some of his strength. He watched as she started talking and knew that she must have started revealing her motives to him because he became very alert all of the sudden. He looked around a little and then lightly tugged on her arm to guide her to a more secluded area a few feet away.

Logan stood up immediately. He knew that they had not gone far and that she wasn't in any danger with Duncan, but she was out of his sight. In his book, that was unacceptable. He didn't care if she was with the Pope, she would not be out of his sight while Troy still posed a threat.

Logan moved around the lunch tables a bit and behind some trees as to not draw anyone else's attention to what he was watching. Duncan and Veronica definitely needed this to be an uninterrupted conversation. He got into a position where he could see them again. She was facing him and Duncan had his back to Logan. He knew that Veronica couldn't see him and probably thought that she was out of sight from any onlookers. He hoped that she wasn't nervous about that. He had her covered.

He continued to watch them as they both took turns speaking, they both paced around a little and then stood facing each other again. He watched as Duncan shook his head and reached up to caress her face. He saw the endearing look on her face as she placed her hand over his, while wiping a tear from her cheek with her other hand.

Duncan wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug that she returned. The sight of them embracing brought tears to Logan's eyes and he had to duck his head to wipe them away. He looked back just in time to see the embrace turn into a kiss. Although, Duncan's form blocked Veronica's and Logan couldn't see their actual lips touching, he could see the top of her head. It was obvious by the position of their heads and the sight of her hands squeezing his back more firmly, that they were kissing.

It was official. The Golden Couple of Neptune was back. Logan ducked his head and allowed more silent tears to fall. When he finally composed himself and looked up again, Veronica and Duncan had started to walk away from each other. He saw the lingering look they held and the fact that they didn't break hand contact until the very last minute.

Although Duncan had walked toward the parking lot and Veronica stood looking after him before she turned to walk back to the quad, Logan knew it was just an act. He figured they weren't going to spring their relationship on everyone, especially him. He figured that Veronica would want to talk to him and let him down easy before going public with her and Duncan's relationship.

Logan wiped his eyes and walked back over to his table before Veronica knew that he had seen the whole thing. He had known that this was coming and he was happy for her, glad that she had a chance at her own happiness after everything she'd been through in the last year.

He saw her smile over at him after she'd reached her lunch table, but there was a sadness to her expression. He gave her an acknowledging nod. He needed to figure out how he was going to deal with this in front of her. He was determined to keep his friendship with her. He wouldn't lose her again.

Logan didn't want her to worry about him and he didn't want to be the reason she couldn't fully enjoy her rekindled love. He needed a plan. He needed a way to let her know he was okay. He needed...a distraction.

Just before the bell signaling the end of the lunch hour sounded, he figured out what he needed to do. He turned to face the table next to him.

"So, Jenny. You got plans after school?" He said to the voluptuous brunette that had been sitting behind him.

"No, what did you have in mind?" She was surprised that Logan was asking her out. He hadn't flirted with her or given her any signs of his interest.

"Well, I've got to stick around my house, but was wondering if you wanted to hang out. Maybe go swimming or something." It made him feel physically sick. He didn't want to go swimming with anyone, but Veronica. He didn't even want to talk to anyone, but Veronica. This was the only way, though, to let Veronica off the hook. She wouldn't have to feel bad about getting back together with Duncan if she knew that Logan was seeing someone else.

It may have been a good cause, but he could feel himself turning green. How he wished things were different, but he knew that this was for the best. Who knew, maybe seeing Veronica happy with someone else would be enough for him.

"That sounds great. I was planning on heading to the beach anyway, so I've already got my suit in my bag." She was delighted at the chance to be swimming in Logan Echolls' pool in her new string bikini. She knew she had the kind of body that made guys wild and this was the perfect opportunity to use that to her advantage.

"Alright, meet me at my SUV after school. Just so you know, Veronica will be riding with us, okay?" He wanted to make things easier for Veronica, not more difficult. Surprising Jenny with Veronica's presence would not have made things easier.

"Oh, okay." She was a little confused, but decided she didn't care. She would be spending the afternoon making waves with Logan in his pool.

The bell rang and Logan and Veronica met up on their way into the school.

"You okay?" He asked, knowing that if he didn't make some sort of inquiry regarding her meeting with Duncan that she would know something was wrong. This way, if she questioned him about his lack of interest, he could play it off as him giving her space.

"Yeah, great. You?" Logan's stomach turned at the sound of her gleeful response.

"Great." Logan replied with slightly less enthusiasm.

They walked to Journalism and Logan was happy to find that Duncan would not be in class. He must have gone home, maybe to confront his parents about lying to him about Veronica. At least Logan wouldn't have to watch the glances back and forth between the lovebirds.

Although things were considerably less jovial, they stuck to their routine for the rest of the day. When Logan picked Veronica up from her last class, she was so excited she was practically bouncing to the Xterra.

Logan knew that she was probably going to be calling Duncan as soon as they got home and was glad that Jenny would be there as a distraction.

Veronica's pace slowed considerably when she saw Jenny standing by Logan's SUV.

Right before they got to it and Veronica realized that Jenny was indeed waiting for Logan, she turned a questioning look toward him. He was smiling at the girl, like he'd been expecting her.

"What's going on?" Veronica asked Logan.

"Oh, I invited Jenny over to go swimming. You don't mind, do you?" He was being very cordial, but Veronica still couldn't figure out what was going on. He'd never mentioned Jenny to her at all. Why would he suddenly be having her over to the house?

"Uh, no. Of course not. The more the merrier, right?" She really had no idea what she was saying. She would have thrown out any cliched answer at that moment.

"Hey, Logan," Jenny cooed.

"Hey, Jen. You ready?" Logan just wanted to get through this day and climb into bed, but he had a while before that was going to happen.

"Absolutely."  
Logan moved to open the passenger door for Veronica. It had already become habit for him. He was shocked, though, when Jenny hopped into the seat and almost said something to stop her. Before he could, though, Veronica was climbing into the back seat.

The ride home was extremely uncomfortable, although Jenny didn't seem to notice, if her nonstop talking was any indication.

When they got to the house, Logan pointed Jenny toward the pool house where she could change while he changed in his bedroom.

"You going swimming with us?" He asked Veronica as they made their way toward their side by side bedrooms.

"No, you guys enjoy. I've got a ton of homework to do." Veronica replied as she slipped into her room. She shut the door behind her and stood motionless.

She stood there listening as Logan entered his room and then left a couple of minutes later. She heard him yell before doing a canon ball into the pool and she heard Jenny's corresponding squeal and burst of laughter.

Veronica walked over to her window, which overlooked the pool. She watched them for a few minutes and then she crumbled to the floor crying.

'What is going on? What is happening? I was supposed to tell Logan that I loved him today and we would live happily ever after...okay, maybe not, but still. This was definitely not on the agenda for today.'

She tried to figure out what happened between last night and this afternoon. The only thing she could remember was the look on Logan's face when she'd smiled at him at lunch. She thought back to everything that had happened at lunch.

Duncan had walked over to her and she suddenly got extremely nervous. She'd been looking so forward to getting their talk over with, so she could get back to Logan, that she hadn't put much thought into what she'd actually say.

She tried to ease her way into it, but as soon as she said the words journal and Shelly's party, Duncan was very alert. He 'shushed' her and looked around to see if anyone was watching or listening to them. He gently pulled her behind some taller bushes so that they weren't easily seen from the quad.

He was frantic and she had to quickly explain how they stumbled on to the information, then had a DNA test done and how everything was okay.

"Duncan, we aren't related. I'm am absolutely Keith Mars' daughter." She said, smiling at him.

"Are you sure?" He was pleading with her for it to be true.  
"Absolutely. I can print out the results, if you want proof." She knew that this was a lot for him to take. Having spent the better part of a year thinking that you'd slept with your own sister, wasn't an easy thing to get past.

"No, no, that's alright. I believe you, but, but...do you have any idea Veronica?" They were both pacing around from the spastic range of emotions that were flowing through them.

He stopped in front of her, shook his head and caressed her cheek. "I gave you up because I thought you were my sister."

Veronica put her hand over his and gave him a reassuring look, "I know you did." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "I know now why you did what you did, although I wish you'd at least told me that you were breaking up with me. If you'd told me, we could have dealt with all of this back then."

"I know, I'm so sorry." Duncan wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She was glad that her injuries had all, but healed. Otherwise, the bear hug he gave her would have hurt like Hell.

"I've missed you so much," he whispered into her hair.

She began to pull back so that they could talk, but before she knew it, his lips were on hers. It shocked her. She was surprised he didn't notice her response since she was sure she probably left marks on his back when she tensed up at the initial contact.

She pulled back from him with a sorrowful look on her face. "Duncan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. I don't want to get back together with you."

"Why, haven't you missed me?" He was hurt and she felt horrible.

"Yes, but it's been a long time. I had to move on and I did. Actually, I'm in love with someone." She wasn't telling him this to hurt him more, but she wanted to be upfront with him. She wanted to have a chance at friendship with him again, but if that was possible, she'd have to be honest. She also needed him to be okay with the idea since she knew it would be another shock for him to find out that it was his best friend.

"Who, who are you in love with?"

"Well, I haven't actually told him yet. Do you mind if I tell you after I tell him?" She smiled up at him and he gave her a nod.

"Are you okay with this, Duncan?" She didn't want him to be hurt.

"I will be. Just give me some time to process it all, okay?" He grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Yeah, I can do that."  
"Well, I'm going to take off for the rest of the day. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He needed some time to himself.

"Alright. See ya tomorrow." They continued to look at each other as they separated to head in different directions. Her wanting to make sure he was okay and him still trying to process all of the information she had just downloaded on him. They slowly let their hands separate and Veronica watched him walk away.

When she had returned to her table, she had looked over to where Logan was sitting. He looked unhappy or worried about something. She felt bad, knowing that it was probably because she had been out of his sight for a little bit. He'd been so protective of her, she figured it must have killed him to not come and drag her back into his view. She tried to give him a smile, letting him know that she was fine, but all she got was a head nod.

She'd seen him talking to a table of girls, but hadn't paid any attention to who, specifically, he was talking to. Was it Jenny? Is that when he was asking her out?

'He must have decided that we work best as just friends and this is his way of conferring that to me.' That was the only explanation she could come up with. If he'd been mad at her, he wouldn't have been kind to her, asking her how she was doing after her talk with Duncan. He'd been cordial when he'd walked her to the car and he'd invited her to go swimming with them. That may not seem like the world's fair, but it was for Logan. If he was upset with you, you knew it. You always knew where you stood with him. He would show you either through words or actions. He wouldn't have been polite to her, if he'd been upset with her.

She cried harder at the sound of laughter coming from the backyard. She finally calmed down enough to pull out her homework, although she didn't get much studying done. Instead, she figured a bath would be a nice way to relax and calm her emotions.

Awhile after getting into the tub, she heard a knock on her bathroom door.

"Yes?"

"Ronnie, are you okay?" He had used her nickname and she wanted to cry again, but held back the tears.

"I'm fine, Logan. I'm in the bathtub, did you need something?" At the mention of her in the bathtub, Logan's mind went into overdrive. Her in bubbles, her slick skin, her out of bubbles. That one made him smile.

"Logan?" She sounded unsure that he was still there.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I need to take Jenny home, when can you be ready to go?"

"Logan," she whined. She had no desire to get out of her comfy spot so that she could tag along on the rest of his date, being subjected to goodnight kisses and what ever else they would be doing. "I am not going anywhere! Look, just set the alarm and I'll be fine. This place is like Fort Knox, fully stocked with a security detail to boot."  
"Oh, I don't know about that." Logan was very uncomfortable leaving her.

"Look, Logan. Here's the deal. I'm staying here. Unless you want your friend to stay here until we leave for school in the morning, I'd suggest you take her home." She was getting irritated. Not really at Logan, just at the situation. It was obvious he was being pulled in two different directions. One, he needed to get his new girlfriend home and two he felt like he needed to protect her.

'He shouldn't be worried about me. I'm not his responsibility, but I've made him feel like I am. I've kept him from his life and all of his friends. I've had him all to myself for a week and a half and I've taken for granted that it would continue to be like this. I've been so selfish and it stops now.'

He growled. "Fine! But stay here. I'll be back in 20 minutes." He knew it wouldn't take him very long to drop Jenny off. It's not like he was even going to walk her to the door.

"Yes, sir!" She saluted, although he couldn't see her through the bathroom door.

Logan walked away reluctantly.

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A minute later, Veronica got out of the tub. She didn't want to, but she was getting hungry. She got dressed in her sweats and went downstairs. She wanted something quick and comforting so that she could take it to her room and not have to deal with Logan for the rest of the evening. She would be stronger tomorrow, but tonight she needed time to get used to him being with someone else.

She went directly to the freezer, she knew exactly what she was seeking. Unfortunately, the ice cream wasn't in there. She thought about eating something else, but had really had her heart set on ice cream.

Veronica looked at the time and ran to get her bag. She came back into the kitchen and wrote Logan a note, then walked out the front door. She waved to the security guard and told him that she'd be back in a few minutes...ice cream run. He smiled at that and nodded his head.

Sure she had told Logan that she wouldn't leave the house and she felt slightly guilty. She wasn't too concerned, though. When she thought about him dropping off his date, she knew that she'd be back before he was anyway. He wouldn't even know that she was gone. How long could it take to grab one carton of Tillamook Mudslide ice cream. Well, maybe two cartons considering the turn of events at the Echolls mansion.

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AJzkitten69: Thank you. Rest up. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you'd read it and enjoyed it...even if it wasn't a "decent review". Really, I truly appreciate it. I would've understood

09nerLoVer: Absolutely agree! I have watched that 'Sway' scene sooooo many times, it's not even funny.

LoVeElle: Wow! Well, I do not envy your computer. Really, she probably doesn't work well in such a hostile working environment. Always being under the stress of threats hanging over her monitor. hahahaha! Anyway, you're probably hating me for a completely different reason after this chapter:-)

Elektra Bauer: Wow! Sorry to hear about the wrist. 6 weeks and still in pain definitely does not sound like fun to me. I hope it starts to get better soon. Thank you so much for the review, though.

RBDFAN: See what happens when you celebrate prematurely...then, bam! Chapter 24 comes along!

jennaml2709: Thank you. Yeah, they are a lot, but it's funny. Every time someone says that I've got a lot to handle, the 3 kids are 4 ½ yrs apart. 2-6 ½ yrs old, I just think of my girlfriend who has 4 kids in 4 ½ yrs and my sister, who has 6 kids. Absolutely, the miscarriages were horrible, especially since getting pregnant wasn't as easy as it could have been and the miscarriages were my first pregnancies. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to have children. Obviously it worked out. I've got three amazing and beautiful kids. It amazes me to think of it now. Anyway, whew! See what happens when you get me talking about my babies and my life. I just don't shut up. I wish you luck in starting your family when it's time.

Miss-Mars: thank you...enjoy the holiday.

xosummerxo: I know! What's up with V being psycho bait? Well, you know Duncan so well, don't you?

IluvVM: Well, I will say that we had the best fireworks we've had in years, I think! It was great. Anyway, Thank you for your awesome, kind words!!!! I always look forward to hearing from you. Woohoo! I'm a favorite author!! Woohoo!!

Literati and naley: yeah, it was pretty soap opera-ey. lol. You know what, I don't mean to disappoint, but I don't think that Mac makes a single appearance in my fic. I will try to rectify that in my next fic.

VMLoVeR87: So glad I was able to help you out in your time of need and boredom. LoVe unfolding...yeah, this chapter threw a kink in that.

sofy2409: Well, thank you for taking the time this time. I can understand. I've done that with other fics. Anyway, your review was awesome. I so appreciate the time you took and the details you used. I'm so glad that I can help you with your "homework". Hey, that's what I'm here for. And, really, you like authors messing with you...so, I am the perfect match for you. I think we will get along beautifully. As for the size of my head. I don't think that has changed a lot, but the size of my heart sure has. Again, thank you so very much. If you find time, I'd love to hear from you again.

SaraLyleth: Well, thank you so much. What a compliment. Don't speak to soon, though. There are still lots of chapters that could suck. Let's hope not. :-)

lagurlroks: Yeah, see, my Logan is a sensitive young man, but he's still a guy. You wake him up to V's chest...he's still going to appreciate it, no matter how sensitive he is.

Lorelei Candice Black: oops, sorry! But, don't look at it as you being wrong. Look at it as well-intentioned and, if all else fails, go on Oprah and blame your mama. :-) Thanks!!!


	25. Chapter 25

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 25

A/N: Okay, I was getting ready to post this chapter last night. I was also chatting with a friend online. In the middle of prepping the chapter and reviews and right in the middle of the chat, I fell asleep. I woke up 20 minutes later to my friend saying, "where'd you go? Did you fall asleep?" I was barely conscious enough to tell her good night. :-) So, you get the chapter this morning.

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Sleeping Beauty' or any of the Disney Kingdom for that matter. Frankly, I own very little and it's beginning to really piss me off. Anyway, love you all. Thanks for your feedback.

Veronica had gotten in and out of the store in no time and was highly confident about getting back to Logan's before anyone knew that she was gone. In fact, she figured that she had found a pretty good way of getting some alone time away from the house. She laughed at her thoughts.

She had been staying at Logan's for over a week and this was the first time she had wanted any alone time. In fact, if she wasn't spending time with Logan, she'd been wishing she was. Even now, the only alone time she wanted was alone time with Logan. Unfortunately, Logan had lost interest and moved on.

Tears threatened to fall again, but Veronica refused to let them. 'It's not like we were going out, we both agreed that we were working on our friendship and we'd see where things took us. Well, I guess I know the answer to that now.'

She was devastated. She didn't want to be, but she was. It was that simple. Finally, after so much misery and loneliness and abuse, she had thought she'd found a possibility at love again.

'Who am I kidding, I did find love, he just doesn't love me back,' She thought grimly.

She really wanted to keep the closeness that they had gained over the last couple of weeks. She had to find a way to be okay with him dating other people or they'd drift apart. She couldn't let that happen.

She got into her car and headed back to Logan's house, hoping that she'd be able to avoid much contact with him until the morning. She just needed some time to figure out how to look at him without aching for him; his touch, his smell, his kiss, his love.

Veronica was lost in thought trying come up with a plan of action. 'What do I do now? Everything in the tornado that has been my life for the last two weeks has been calmed and bearable by the presence of Logan. What do I do now that he is no longer...available?...focused on me?...mine? whatever he was.'

She was exhausted and her mind was swimming. She just needed to go home and crawl into bed and sleep until morning. When she pulled into the driveway, she smiled to herself. She was right, Logan wasn't back yet. The thoughts of what he could be doing with Jenny stole her smile in an instant.  
When she went into the house, she got rid of the note she'd left Logan and put the ice cream in the freezer. She went up to her room, got ready for bed and crawled under the covers. She was so tired of crying. She'd done so much of it lately that she wasn't sure if her body had the ability to make more tears. She laid there for a few minutes before exhaustion overtook her body completely.

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Logan had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes several times on the ride to Jenny's house. She just kept talking and everything she said was asinine. It was meaningless and boring and he hated every minute he was with her.

'How was I ever able to be around, let alone, date girls like this?' Just as he thought it, Jenny "stretched" arching her back and making the tight fit of her shirt, even tighter.

'Oh, yeah. Now I remember what I was thinking.' He accidentally laughed out loud.

"What, what so funny?" She wasn't offended, she was genuinely curious. Logan hadn't picked her for the brightest girl, but she really was just completely clueless.

"Nothing. Well, looks like we're here. I'll see you tomorrow." Logan said as he pulled up to her house. If she'd had half a brain, she would have taken the hint and jumped out quickly. Instead, she leaned over the console to him and ran her hand down his chest.

"No one's home. Are you sure you don't want to come in for a while? Get the whole house tour?" From her facial expression to her body language to her tone of voice, she was turning on all of the sexy she could manage.

As soon as she touched him, his skin began to crawl. After hearing her, he grabbed her hands quickly and jerked them away from him. At her horrified look, he remembered why it was that he was subjecting himself to this. He needed to keep her around for a little while, long enough to get past the awkwardness with Veronica and Duncan.

Using every ounce of strength in him, he plastered on a smile, "Ah, don't tempt me." He rubbed her hands, "I really have to go. Maybe next time, okay?" She nodded, then her lips were on his before he had the chance to do anything about it.

When he pulled back, she smiled dreamily at him. "Bye, Lovah." She said and then got out of the car.

Logan felt sick. In the past, even with Lilly, he would have used an easy lay to get past a breakup. He and Veronica weren't even dating and he still felt like he was cheating on her. There was just something different about his relationship with Veronica than anyone else he'd ever been with.

He put the car in drive and headed back home, back to Veronica. Not only did he hate being away from her, he still did not like that he had to leave her alone. Although appreciative of the security detail and the fact that his house was a security fortress, he still felt the need to watch over her.

As he got nearer, he got more and more nervous about having left her alone. He just needed to see her and make sure she was alright. By the time he got home, he was extremely anxious and practically ran into the house. When he was done searching and calling for her in the main area and pool, he headed to her room.

He was about to burst into her room when a vision of her in the bath tub popped into his head. He didn't want to catch her naked, well, that's not totally true. That was a dream he seemed to be having at least every other night. He didn't think that she would appreciate being in that position, though.

Knocking on her door, he rocked back on his heels and waited for her reply. When there wasn't one, he knocked a little louder and called her name. Still, there was no answer and he began to get nervous again.

He slowly opened her door and said her name again. When he opened the door far enough, he saw her curled up under the blankets of her bed. He walked around the bed so he could see if she was awake, but was met with her closed eyes and steady breathing.

He let out a heavy sigh, partially because he was relieved he'd found her unharmed, partially because he was awestruck by the 'sleeping beauty' that lay before him. It didn't seem to matter how many times he'd seen her...sleeping, awake, battered, beaten and broken-hearted; she was still the most beautiful thing in the world to him.

He knelt down by her bed and just watched her sleep. He couldn't get over the fact that they'd gotten so close and that he knew without a shadow of doubt that they could have been great together.

Staring at her face, he noticed her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Just as he wondered what could have possibly upset her, she took in an unsteady breath as if she had been crying really hard. Without thinking, he slipped off his shoes, crawled under the blankets and gathered her in his arms.  
She was still sleeping, but it didn't stop Logan from trying to calm her with soothing words.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here, Ronnie. Everything's fine. You're safe, I've got your back and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again." Logan just started talking to her like they were having a conversation.

"Well, Mars. Things are only looking up for you from here. You've got me back, although, I should have never deserted you. I promise, Ronnie, never again. Never again. No matter what, okay?"

"You've got Duncan back and you guys are going to live happily ever after." His voice cracked a little on that admission. "You're dad is really your dad and he's like Super P.I. Daddy Mars who is going to track Troy down like the dog that he is."

"See, nothing but roses, maybe a few Lilly's thrown in for spice." He chuckled a little at the thought of Lilly just sitting up in Heaven and watching the show that her best friend's life had become.

He stroked Veronica's hair and kissed her head. "You know, Lilly would love this. Her ex-boyfriend and her brother wanting to be with her best friend. She would definitely say that you've found your inner red satin."

"The thing is, Ronnie, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. How am I supposed to watch you and Duncan together every day and not die on the inside, knowing that I can never have you? I'm trying my best to be happy for you, I really am. It's just, I...I'm in love with you and it is something I've never felt before. I know that I loved Lilly, but there really is something different about how I feel about you and I don't understand it. I have no idea how this happened." Logan faltered a little at the end.

He knew he couldn't stay in bed with her. She wouldn't appreciate it and neither would Duncan. For better or worse, they were his best friends and he didn't want to do anything to mess that up. The three of them had lost too much time together.

Logan wished that were the only reason, that he was selfless enough to only consider Duncan and Veronica's feelings. It wasn't true, though. A big part of him had to leave her bed or someone would have to tear him away from her in the morning. He couldn't be that close to her, knowing he could never have her. It hurt too much.

When they'd slept together before, it had been because of one of two reasons. Either total emotional support with personal feelings having little to do with it, or because of an emotional connection that had endless possibilities. During the latter times, he'd still wanted to be there for her as a friend, but he also had an immense amount of hope about the development of their relationship.

Those hopes had been crushed the moment he saw Duncan and Veronica kiss. If he were honest, he knew as soon as he read the DNA results that his chance at anything more than friendship with her was gone.

He kissed her head again and then went to his own bed.

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Tuesday morning, Veronica woke up bright and early. She looked at the alarm clock to see what time it was and was shocked to see that she'd gotten another long night's sleep, twelve long, glorious hours. She thought about the day before and wondered if that long night's sleep had cured her heartache enough to see Logan and Jenny together. She bet not.

After getting ready for school, Veronica thought maybe she'd slip out of the house and drive herself to school. She could avoid Logan for a little longer and have some alone time. She figured she needed to get used to alone time again.

It was odd, she had gotten very adept at being by herself over the last year. Now, after two short weeks of the whirlwind that is Logan Echolls, she found alone time difficult.

She walked out the door in a hurry, hoping that Logan wouldn't come downstairs before she could leave, but was stopped by the sight of him leaning against the Xterra.

"Hey, there you are." He smiled at her. "Your chariot awaits."

He opened her door with a flourish and bowed. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped. He closed the door behind her and then got into the driver's seat.  
The ride to school was quiet. Both of them were trying to find a way to be just friends with the person they loved, knowing that person didn't return those feelings.

When they got to school, they fell into their usual routine. He would drop her off and pick her up from each of her classes. That was, until he got to her 3rd period class to pick her up and walk her to lunch.

Logan waited for everyone to exit and then looked into the classroom. There was no sign of her. His brow furrowed and he walked toward her locker to search for her. When she wasn't there, he walked out to the quad, thinking that maybe she'd gotten out of class early to meet Duncan.

The bright sunlight hit him when he stepped into the quad and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He scanned the area and couldn't find her anywhere. He was beginning to panic when he saw Duncan sitting at the 09er table. He decided to start with her boyfriend. Maybe Duncan knew where she was. Maybe she was just in the bathroom and running late.

"Hey," he said as he walked up to Duncan.

"Hey, Man. What's going on?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Logan jerked his head away from the table indicating that he wanted to take the conversation elsewhere. Duncan got up and followed him.

When they had a little more privacy from the prying ears of Neptune's gossip central, he turned to Duncan.

"Where's Veronica?" He started quickly. He had no time to beat around the bush.

Duncan looked almost stunned. "I have no idea, I haven't seen or heard from her since yesterday at lunch."

"Look, Duncan, there is no reason to lie. I know that you guys are back together and it's fine, I just need to know where she is immediately." He was doing everything he could to control the anxiety running rampant through his body.

"What are you talking about?" Logan wasn't making any sense and Duncan was utterly confused.

"I just need to make sure she's okay. I-" he was cut off by Duncan.

"No, Logan. I mean, we're not dating again." He was speaking very simply, like it was the most obvious fact in the world.

"What are you talking about! I saw you kissing! Just stop with the games and tell me where she is." He was almost yelling and had to control himself in order to not draw attention to their conversation.

"Look, Logan. I did kiss her. I told her how much I missed her, that the only reason I'd broken up with her was because I thought she was my sister. With the DNA test you guys had done, we could be together again. I told her that I wanted to be with her again."  
"Okay," Logan said really slowly, trying to figure out what Duncan was saying.

"I did kiss her, but she didn't kiss me back. I think she was more shocked than anything," he chuckled. When he saw the stunned reaction on Logan's face and the fact that he wasn't laughing along, but anxiously awaiting the rest of the story, he continued.

"Anyway, she told me that she missed me too, but that what we had was a long time ago. She had to move on, and then down came the hammer." Duncan said with regret lacing his voice.

"She said that she was in love with someone else." Duncan shrugged. "We agreed to work on being friends again, but it's going to take some time in light of all of the revelations in our relationship.

Logan's head was spinning. He was trying to process everything that Duncan had just said, but couldn't. What did it mean? There was a disconnect in his brain that was making everything cloudy. Duncan's words were jumbled and floating around randomly in his head. Just when he felt like he was beginning to focus again, Duncan spoke up.

"Logan? What's going on with Veronica? Why do you need to find her so badly?"

"Oh, crap." Logan's head snapped up and the wild look in his eyes scared Duncan.

Logan started looking around again for her and spotted Wallace instead. He sprinted over to the table.

"Where's Ronnie?" He was panting a little.

"She left." Wallace said as he took a bite of his lunch.

"What do you mean she left? I drove her to school. How could she have left?"

"Her dad came to pick her up. He called the office and wanted her to meet him in front of the school about half way through 3rd period." He said with a full mouth." One of the secretaries took the message and I delivered it to her class.

"He's been in Mexico, is he back? It's been a couple of days, he could be back. Maybe he wanted to see her again, fill her in on any information he's gotten on Troy." Logan was talking to himself as he reached for his phone and dialed Keith's cell. "Why wouldn't they have called me? It doesn't make any sense."

Duncan and Wallace were looking at him like he was crazy, although, Wallace had started to understand and was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable about the whole situation.

"Hello, Mr. Mars?" Logan was speaking really fast.

"Hey, Logan. Is everything alright? You sound upset."

"Where are you Mr. Mars?" He totally ignored the man's question and went into his own line of questioning. "Is Veronica with you?"

"What? I'm in Mexico, remember? Of course Veronica's not with me. Isn't she with you?" Keith was beginning to realize what was going on and he needed answers.

"No, Wallace said that she left school during 3rd period because you called the office and wanted her to meet you out in front of the school." Logan was practically hysterical by that point. He was almost yelling into the phone and his eyes had filled with tears. He began running toward his SUV with Duncan and Wallace hot on his heels.

"Logan, look, I'm going to hang up and call Lamb right now. We need him in on this immediately! Keep your phone on and check everywhere you can think of, okay? Your house, my house, the office, Troy's house, the beach, everywhere. And, leave notes for her in case she comes back to any of those places. I'll call you after I talk to Don. I'm on my way home, okay?"

"Yeah," Logan was bawling at this point. He was shaking all over and having trouble standing.

"Logan? Logan! Look, son, be strong right now. She needs us to keep it together now. If he has her, she is going to need as much productive help as possible as quickly as possible. We can fall apart later, right now, we have the best chance of getting her back. Do what needs to be done, understand?"

Logan straightened up, and although he was still crying, he was trying his best to focus on the task at hand. He had to get her back and away from Troy. He just hoped that this was all a big mistake like the last time she had "gone missing."

Logan shut his phone and then turned to the two very concerned boys who were with him.  
"I-it looks like Troy might have her." At Duncan's confused expression, Logan explained, "Duncan, you don't know what's going on and I don't have time to tell you everything. I'll tell you that Troy beat her up really badly, then Mr. Mars and I found a bunch of stuff at his house that proves he's severely obsessed with her and has been since the summer that you and Lilly met him."

"I will tell you more later, but right now we need to find her. Her dad is still in Mexico, so whoever wanted her to be in front of the school was NOT him. It was probably Troy."

"Her dad is calling the Sheriff and wants me to check everywhere else I can think of, here in Neptune. You guys want to split up and help?"

Wallace and Duncan opened their mouths to speak, but it was the voice behind Logan that got his attention.

"Count me and my boys in." A stunned Logan turned to look straight into the eyes of the boy he hated most in the world, after Troy, of course.

He thought of all of the hateful things that he could say to Weevil, but all that he came up with was gratefulness. At this point, he'd be willing to have the Devil himself out looking for her, although, Logan was pretty sure that the Devil was already with her.

"Thanks, Weevil. Why don't you and your guys hit the beach. You can cover more ground than any of us individually. After the beach, maybe try food joints. It is lunch time and we all know how much she loves food." Logan tried to come across as confident and smile a little. In reality, he just looked like he felt sick.

"Wallace and Duncan, check the office, Wallace's house, anywhere she'd feel safe."

"I'll check my place, hers and Troy's. Call me if anyone finds anything. Weevil, what's your number?"

Logan dialed the number as Weevil told him and Weevil's phone rang. Logan disconnected the call.

"Okay, now you have my number on your phone and I have yours. Let's go guys. Call me immediately, if you find anything." Logan had started to get into his SUV, the gang leader was already on his phone contacting his boys, and Wallace and Duncan headed to Duncan's car.

They were going to find her, they had to.

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RBDFAN: Maybe, but he's just so pretty. :-)

jennaml2709: Well, I think that we can agree that both Logan and Veronica need to think through their choices more before acting. BTW, sorry to hear about the endiometriose. After we had our 2nd miscarriage and the doctor said that after 3 in a row and no viable pregnancies, we shouldn't continue, we really had to consider our options. I remember, when thinking about adoption, that 'who said that their isn't already a baby or going to be a baby out there that God wants me to love?' I think adoption is great and I firmly believe that adoption serves as a blessing to the adopted and the adopting. Good luck.

EpicLoVeFan: Well, see. The reviews I get are my crack. There's a lot of crack floating around this place.

RedBrick: Welcome, don't think I've heard from you. Thank you...as you can see, I love to emotionally murder my readers. Heeheehee. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Sarca666: See now, this is where I think I'm very close to canon. V did some horrifically stupid things in her pursuit of truth and justice. Sometimes she just doesn't think! Thanks for the great review!

09nerLoVer: I'm telling you! They just don't make it easy, do they? Poor Logan was just so ready to be cast aside that it colored his outlook on the V/D situation. And, what can I say. When you need Mudslide Ice Cream, you need Mudslide Ice Cream.

VMLoVeR87: Can I TELL you how much I HATE Madison Sinclair. With a passion! With the strength of 1000 two-year olds fighting to get their way! As much as Jen hates Angelina and Michael Moore hates the evils of a razor and comb. As much as Al Gore hates public transportation or as much as Osama bin Laden loves the sand that gets packed in his crack when he rolls around with the goats in his dark cave. Argh!! In other words, I believe she is not a nice young lady and should be avoided at all costs. Heeheehee

xosummerxo: I know, I just love my Logan. He just doesn't see himself as worth for V's love.

IluvVM: NO! pouts. Unfortunately, my author keeps giving me excuses, but never updates. I think that she was busy for awhile planning her wedding and then, I got the impression at a later date like maybe all of that had fallen through. Of course, she didn't say that, but I'm just guessing. Anyway, I've got to cut her some slack if that's what she's been dealing with. Anyway, so glad you are loving the torture that I enjoy putting you and your fellow readers through. It really is one of my favorite pasttimes.

2honest4myowngood: I'm so sorry to hear about your hand. Look, take a break for a couple of days. Keep reading, but you can wait to review. I'll know that you want to and I appreciate it, but take care of yourself. Now, I always tell my children to do unto others as they want to have done to them. So, did you burn those little kids back? Heehee. Just kidding. REALLY!

Literati and naley forever: You're right. I think that Logan and Veronica both have difficulty stopping themselves long enough to think anything through.

Adja: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, All-e-lu-ia! You are back! How did your test go and your time around France? So, what did you think of the chapter...little different?

Sofy2409: okay, first, I will always try to answer any of your reviews. I figure that you are taking the time to review, I can take the time to answer...unless I'm crunched for time to get my chapter out. Then, when I don't reply to reviews, it is only to avoid a lynching. My children need their mother. Second, one of my favorite comments... "no no you stupid hot boy!" Hilarious!!!

Third, yes the security detail probably could have at least tried to talk her out of leaving. What were they thinking? Fourth, if there is a declaration at some point, I think you'll like it. wink

Lorelei Candice Black: See now, you went a whole different route. Do you remember...well, I don't know how old you are or if they are still popular, but anyway. Do you remember those books that you'd read, where each chapter ended with a question and you got to choose the answer, therefore, forming where the story went. For example, I could ask: Does Troy find V at the supermarket. If yes, turn to page 58, if no, turn to page 27. Okay, yes, completely off subject, but you brought it up! Rotfl

AJzkitten69: ok, so you must live in the same time zone I do and have the same kind of sleep behavior I do. Here I am, posting at all times of the night, there you are reading at all times of the night! Hmmmm, pure evil? Well, my daddy always taught me, that anything worth doing is worth doing well. snickers

LoVeElle: Whew! Did I find you okay? You seemed pretty stressed during your review. Although, I don't think that this chapter is much for calming you, please don't throw your computer out the window just yet. I'd really hate to lose you. :-)


	26. Chapter 26

Drunk Logan  
Ch. 26

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Sitting in third period, Veronica was surprised to see Wallace walk in, show the teacher a note and then walk toward her with it.

She opened it, read it and a smile spread across her face. Her dad was back. Just when everything was getting so difficult, her dad was back. She couldn't wait to see him. She wanted to talk to him about Logan. Most girls wouldn't choose to open up and talk to their dads about their love life, or lack thereof. Neither would she normally. He was the only one who she could talk to about it, though. The only other person in her life was Wallace and she didn't think he'd understand. He barely knew the surface of what they'd been through or how much time they'd spent together.

She had felt so isolated, but was elated as she packed up her bag and walked quickly toward the front of the school. When she didn't see her dad's car, she figured he was on his way. She walked into the parking lot a bit, then she heard a voice that sent a chill down her spine.

"You ready, Baby?" She turned slowly and was shocked at how close Troy was standing to her.

When she made a move to run, he just grabbed her arm and then showed her the gun he was holding.

"Where are you going, Baby?" He was holding the gun, but held no malice in his voice. Veronica could hear the sweetness in his voice and see the sincerity on his face. It was as if he was oblivious to the fact that he was threatening her life.

"T-Troy? What are you doing here?" Her voice was shaking, but she couldn't still it. She knew she was in trouble. There was no one in sight and no one would think to come looking for her in the middle of class. 'Why didn't I call Logan and tell him to come with me?'

"What do you mean? I'm here to escort you to the ceremony." He began to usher her to his car. When they got there, he had her get in on the driver's side and climb over to the passenger seat as he followed her so she couldn't escape.

"What ceremony? Troy, what are you talking about? Where are you taking me?" She was frantically trying to think of how she could get out of the situation. He wasn't giving her any outs, though.

"The wedding ceremony, my love." At her horrified expression, he rubbed her knee. "Oh, don't worry. I know you're worried about tradition and me seeing you before the ceremony, but you don't have anything to worry about. We'll be together forever. Until death do us part, right? Even then, who says death can part us?" He started the car and drove to the highway.

Veronica was so scared and confused. Was he actually planning on marrying her? Where was this supposed ceremony? Maybe this was all a sick joke.  
She remembered all too well what he was capable of when he was provoked, justified or not. She had to tread lightly with him or she could end up worse off than she was last time. There was no way she could be silent, though, and not try anything.

"Please, Troy. I don't want to do this. What about my dad? He won't even be there to walk me down the aisle." She didn't know if this psychological game she was playing would work out or not.

"Don't worry, Baby. I'm all you need, just like you are all that I need." He smiled at her for a moment before returning his gaze to the road.

She felt hopeless and had no idea of what to do next. Surveying the vehicle around her for anything that could help her, she deflated when nothing jumped out at her. At that moment, she felt her cell phone vibrating in her pocket.

'Oh, yeah, my cell phone. I can use that. I just have to figure out where I'm going before I can tell anyone how to get to me.'

After another half an hour of driving, she realized where they were headed. They passed a sign with the mileage to the border and Tijuana and a couple of other cities. She knew that Troy knew TJ well, he'd been down there several times and would probably have connections there.

She reached into her pocket slowly and began typing a text message, hoping that it would reach it's intended destination. Then, came the waiting game. When they reached the border, she would know whether the text message had worked. If Logan had received the message, he would have enough time to alert the authorities and they would be stopped at the border.

Veronica hadn't sent the message to her dad, unsure of his cell coverage while on his trek to find Troy. 'Surprise, I found him,' she sing-songed in her head. Veronica smiled to herself, as inappropriate as it was. She instantly regretted it when she looked up and saw Troy staring at her.

He caressed her face, which made her shudder. "I knew you'd like this idea. An intimate destination wedding in Mexico, what could be more romantic?"

She made an attempt at a little smile, but she could come up with no more than a little whimper. He didn't seem to notice as he returned his attention to his driving again.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence as Veronica daydreamed about Logan being at the border to collect her once the border patrol detained Troy. She had a while to dream up different scenarios in her head, several of which involved Troy being shot by 30 rounds from a line of patrol officers. All of them ended in Logan enveloping her in his arms and kissing her.

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Logan knew it would be pointless, but tried to call Veronica's phone on his way to Troy's house. He only got her voicemail and slammed the phone shut in frustration.  
As soon as the Vandergraff's housekeeper opened the door, he was barreling toward Troy's 'Veronica' room. He found no one there, but shuttered at the mere glimpse of the room. He quickly ran through the rest of the house just in case Troy was hiding elsewhere.

When he left, he sped to his own house. Veronica knew that there was security there. If she had gotten away from Troy or, if by chance, she had left the school grounds of her own accord, she might go to where there was plenty of security.

When he burst through the door, he was screaming her name, hoping to hear her voice in sweet reply. He heard nothing. He ran through the house, continually yelling for her. Then, when he reached her room, he flung open the door and proceeded to burst into her bathroom. The last of his hopes were decimated when he was met with nothing but silence.

That was the final straw for him. He couldn't take it anymore and he broke. He began thrashing through her room. He was suddenly filled with rage. He was angry at Troy for being the psycho that took her and at Veronica for leaving her classroom without calling him, but mostly at himself. He had let his guard down and worse of all, he hadn't even anticipated something like this. Even with all of his planning, he didn't prevent Troy from taking Veronica away from him.

He had trashed most of the room and was tearing apart her made bed and throwing her pillows on the floor, when he spotted a piece of green clothing where one of the pillows had been. He stopped and picked it up. It was his shirt and she had kept it under her pillow. He brought it up to his face and inhaled strongly. He burst into tears as the mixture of his and her scents assaulted his senses.

He was so sure that her revealing the results of the paternity test to Duncan would impact them so greatly, that he made sure to cherish every moment of the night before she told him. But, the day before she disappeared completely, he was spending his time with Jenny, leaving Veronica time to herself.

He stopped crying and tried to catch his breath as he started to remember what Duncan had said.  
'She didn't get back together with him. She said that she was in love with someone else and she had my shirt under her pillow.'

'Crap, she loves me...and I brought Jenny home. She probably had no idea what was happening. She thinks I don't want to be with her. What did I do?'

His misery was broken by the alert from his phone. He grabbed it quickly, knowing that it could be one of the guys with news about Veronica. Instead, when he looked at it, he saw a text message. It was from Veronica's number. It read:

'68 mi 2 brdr.'

He pushed the speed dial button on his phone as he sprinted to the Xterra. He jumped into the driver's seat as the call went through.

"Keith, it's me. I just got a text message from her. They are 68 miles from the border." He was yelling into the phone and speeding out of his driveway. Destination: the border.  
"Great, she still has her phone and it's on. That means that I can trace it. Look, Logan. This is great news. I can trace her call and I am still in Mexico. Are you on your way?" he asked the boy.

"Already on it!" Logan's voice was strained as he was making a hard turn.

"Good, I'm heading there, too. We just have to make it to her in time."

"In time for what?" Keith had definitely gotten Logan's attention.

"Well, let's not think about it. Hopefully Troy doesn't get rid of her phone before we find them. That tracker will lead us directly to her." He was trying to be strong and business-like, but he knew all too well, the peril his baby girl could be in. The tracking system was a major break and he couldn't let it slip through his fingers.

"I'll call you back, once I get a better idea of where they're headed. You just keep coming this way. I'm also going to call Lamb and a guy I know at the border.

"Sounds good. Call me as soon as you hear anything. Bye."

"Bye."

Logan made a quick call to the rest of the guys to let them know that they had a lead on her and he'd call them with more information as soon as he knew anything.

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Troy and Veronica were within a couple of miles of the border and she was getting more and more nervous. She hoped that Logan had gotten the message and that he'd gotten it in time to actually do something about it.

Veronica was also concerned about how Troy would react when the authorities tried to stop him. He could try to hurt her. She just wanted it all to be over. She was kicking herself for being so stupid, going out to the parking lot and standing there alone.

Troy's hand on her leg pulled her out of her thoughts. He rubbed up her thigh and rested his hand on her upper leg with his fingers resting on her inner leg. Although he wasn't violating her, the touch was still sexual enough in nature that she felt queasy.

"Look, Baby, we're almost to the border. After the ceremony, we'll go back to the villa I've rented and begin the rest of our lives together. I have wonderful plans for our honeymoon. I'd tell you about them, but I really want you to be surprised. All I can tell you is that we will finally be together. No distractions, no interruptions, no other people. Just me, worshiping every inch of your body for hours. It's going to be great!" Troy was being so sincere. He wasn't trying to terrify her or torture her. He truly believed in the alternate reality he had created for him and Veronica. He felt like he was being thoughtful and romantic and he couldn't wait to begin their future together.

Troy's minimal description of events only served to further sicken and terrify Veronica. From the way he was speaking, she knew that he was out of his mind. That scared her even more. If he was just trying to be malicious or vengeful or terror-inducing, she would know more of what to expect from him.

Instead, he was being sincere and sweet and romantic. How was she supposed to act around this "loving" guy, knowing what he was truly capable of and not knowing what would set him off? She could see how she would have fallen for this 'plan' of his, if she loved him and didn't know that he was psychotic.

Finally, she could see the border crossing. In order to keep her new alertness from Troy and as a way of trying to protect herself from what lie ahead; she pressed herself into the back of her seat as far as possible. She wanted to close her eyes and wait until it was all over, but she couldn't. She couldn't force her eyes to close. She had to know what was happening around her.

They reached the crossing and stopped, waiting in line behind a couple of other cars. Veronica glanced at Troy and noticed his carefree demeanor. He wasn't concerned at all. She continued to look around and watched as the guards spoke to and passed the drivers in front of them. Troy inched the car closer and closer to the crossing.

When he reached the guard, he rolled down his window and smiled at the man. The two exchanged a few words, but Veronica wasn't listening to what they were saying. She kept looking out the windows, waiting for something to happen. She wasn't sure what she expected. The SWAT team sneaking into position? The FBI surrounding the vehicle, guns drawn?

What she did see unnerved her. The few agents present, were milling around, going about their daily business, not even sparing a glance at her. Her attention was brought back to Troy and the agent at his window when she heard the man speak.

"Well, congratulations on the nuptials you two. Have a great time in Mexico." The officer stepped back from the vehicle and waved them through.

"Thank you, Sir. We will." Troy waved at the man and pulled the car forward.

The next thing Veronica knew, the car pulled to a stop in front of a mid-sized villa. She looked at the clock on the dash and realized that it had been an hour since they passed through the border.

Veronica remembered no part of the drive. The last thing she remembered was her entire world shattering and all hope that she'd had deflating. She went numb, mind and body. All she could think was, 'He didn't get the message. No one knows where I am and I'm not going to be saved.'

Troy opened her door from the outside and the breeze hit her, awakening her senses. She was a fighter, she knew that. She also knew that she would have to find a way out of this mess herself. The hope that she'd had in being saved had given her hope that Troy would not have the chance to start their honeymoon. Her working on her own meant that she would most likely not be leaving Mexico anytime soon. It would take a while before she'd earn his trust enough to be left alone long enough for an escape.  
Troy held his hand out to her. He had almost a giddy smile on his face and Veronica could tell that he was bursting with excitement. She took a shaky breath and joined her hand with his, allowing him to guide her away from the car and into the villa.

As they were walking through the door, Troy stopped her and spun her around, bringing her close to him. She was frozen in her memories of his earlier attack on her. When he nuzzled her neck and she realized that he was not going to attack her again, she still did not relax.

"Just think, Baby," he was whispering in her ear. "The next time we come through that threshold, I will be carrying you, my new wife, over it."

He jerked back from her excitedly. "Now, let's get a move on...we've got some 'I do's to get to!" He clapped his hands once and ushered her down the hall.

"Where are we going?"

"To the bedroom, my dear." Veronica's eyes widened and she began to panic again. She thought that she'd have a little bit of time before they "consummated" their relationship. She had figured that they wouldn't have an actual wedding ceremony, but she had hoped they would at least do some settling in.

She was about to start fighting back, when Troy swung open the bedroom door and her gaze landed on a beautifully made white wedding gown. It was laid out perfectly on the bed, along with the accessories, down to the embroidered nylons.

When he heard her gasp, he took it as a positive sign of her joyful surprise. He smiled softly and leaned toward her ear.

"Well, I couldn't have my bride getting married in her school clothes, now could I?" He spoke softly to her as he rubbed up and down her arms.

He went to the bed and picked up the garments and then led her into a large dressing room. There were no windows and no way of escape. When he hung up the garments, he kissed her on the cheek and told her to let him know if she needed any help. He would be in the bedroom, dressing in his tux.

She shut the door behind him and just stared at the wedding apparel. Although she wasn't completely numb anymore, she was still in a fog. It felt as though she was trying to connect very easy dots, but just couldn't find how they fit together. It seemed simple enough. Clothes off, wedding stuff on.

It should have been very simple, but the act of slipping off her shoes seemed like climbing a mountain. She wasn't sure how long she'd been in there when Troy opened the door.

"Veronica? Didn't you hear me? I was calling your name." He looked at her and frowned. She was still fully clothed in her school clothes and stroking the wedding dress gently with her hand.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it? I know, but we don't have a lot of time to get ready and I know you want to look great on your big day. Not that you won't. You'd look good in a paper sack." He chuckled. "Since I am completely ready, I'll just help you."

He bent down and began to take off her shoes. She looked at him and didn't know what to do. He was going to undress her. 'I should have just gotten dressed quickly. Now, I'm going to be naked in front of him.'

She hoped that by giving up a little of her dignity, she could save herself in the long run. He didn't seem to have plans to "start their honeymoon" until after this supposed ceremony. At worst, he would see her naked. If she fought back now, he might become enraged and the situation would only get worse.

She made her decision to allow this to happen, hoping that she was right. Hoping that she would only have to be vulnerable to him for a few moments before dawning her gown.

She watched as he slipped off her shoes and then her socks. He stood and looked her in the eyes as he slid her jacket sleeves off of her arms. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and gently lifted it over her head. Then his hands moved to the button on her jeans. He unbuttoned them and slowly slid them all the way down her legs. His body traveling down hers as the clothing descended. With a strong hand, he lifted each leg as he removed them from her pants. His eyes surveyed her body as he rose to meet her eyes again.

"The panties will work fine, but the dress is backless." At her blank look, he leaned into her, reached his arms around her and rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. "This," he unhooked her bra strap, "will have to go." He was speaking in a low voice and she could tell that he was turned on.

When he pulled back to allow the bra to drop, he saw the look in her eyes. He got a twinkle in his eye and smiled.

"Now, now, my bride. None of that! I know what you're thinking, but that will just have to wait. We have a schedule to keep. Besides, there is no way I would defile you by taking your innocence before we are joined in marriage. This is going to be perfect, we will be perfect."

Veronica almost corrected him regarding her virginity, but thought better of it. The only thing that had kept him the perfect gentleman to this point, had been the fantasy world he'd been living in. If she chose to destroy that fantasy for him, she didn't know how he'd react.

She was relieved to know that he was restraining his aroused state, at least for a little while. Before he could change his mind and have another opportunity to touch her, she began to slip on her dress. He helped her fasten the back and then she finished dressing.

When she was fully dressed, they walked into the bedroom and he took her by the hand and spun her around, whistling at the sight of her.

"Wow, I knew you'd be beautiful in this, but I had no idea...wow!" He stood, admiring her. "Let's get going, we've got to be to the church in a few minutes."  
"Church?" Veronica managed to squeak out as he tugged her along behind him.

"Of, course. Where else would we get married?" Veronica was starting to realize that they were actually going to get married. After seeing the dress, she thought maybe they'd stand in the living room or on the beach behind the villa and say vows to each other or something. Apparently, he was making sure everything was done "right."

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2honest4myowngood: Well, hopefully your hand will start feeling better soon. That'll teach those boys! (winks). Anyway, thanks for effort of a review with a bum hand.

LoVeElle: I'm so glad I can give your heart a workout. You know, it's good to get the blood pumping every once in a while. :-) Ah...Logan didn't know that V loved him. He was too overwhelmed by all of the information about Veronica missing and V and Duncan's conversation. He never actually registered that she was in love with someone else. Anyway, thank you for the great review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter...another cliffie.

AJzkitten69: Well, I'm so glad I could add a little piece of Weevil action in there for you AND that I could lull you into a false sense of security before ripping the rug out from under you!

IluvVM: ok, ok, enough! Boy, I am blushing! You are way too kind. What can I say, but thank you! And I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much.

sofy2409: ok, first of all...never apologize for a long review. The more detailed you are in your review, the better I know what you like and how you are responding to the story. I love that your emotions were yanked from one extreme to the other. I take a little pride in that. :-) And, don't worry. I completely understand your anger toward me and the cliff hangers. It's okay...I feel the same way about authors who do that to me. The only way I could get my revenge though, is by writing my own story just so that I can torture my readers with cliff hangers. Hey, it's the circle of life, baby! Heeheehee. BTW, I will never argue with you about the hotness that is LE/JD!

VMLoVeR87: heeheehee. Yeah, she's not on the top 'favorite people' list. Thank you so much for the compliment. Although Weevil does not have a major showing in this fic, he does grace us with his presence a couple of times.

Lorelei Candice Black: Well, being 30 myself, I'm not young enough to know if those kind of books were still popular when you were a kid and I'm not old enough to have children who would be reading those books. I still think that they were cool. Wow! People are really responding to Weevil's appearance. I like him, too. I just have trouble seeing past LoVe. I only bring in other characters when I need to complete a scene that will further Logan and Veronica. Maybe on my next fic, I will think about his role a bit more. Thanks!!

xosummerxo: I just love the way you go through all of the possibilities of where the story could be going. I don't want to write a story where people read a chapter and go, "okay, that was good." Then, they go about their business and forget it until they see another update. Thanks so much!!! So, what did you think of the answers you got in this chapter.

lagurlroks: yep! V just inspires that kind of teamwork!

jennaml2709: heeheehee, oh yea, Logan. Go get her!

RedBrick: Yeah, you know, I loved S1. I think that the premise of the show and the characters were great. I like taking some of the ideas and mixing them with my ideas. It's like taking the best of both worlds. Anyway, thanks so much.

Sagebeth: Short, sweet and to the point. Look at you being all efficient. :-) thanks!!!! Woohoo, I'm Epic!!

Literati and naley forever: Uh! YES! Or as I like to refer to it, 'The Morning After Incident'

Adja: I'm going to have to go back to Sway. You better not be ruining that moment for me! lol. Yes, seems everyone is a Weevil fan. I don't have an lj account. I have read some VM fics over there and just recently someone else I know suggested I get one. She gave me a link, but I haven't had time to look into it further. I'm not sure. I will until I'm totally done with DL. I've just got so much going on right now.

RBDFAN:-)

09nerLoVer: I hope this is finding you still alive and kicking! See. Ask a questions and you shall receive the answer.


	27. Chapter 27

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 27

A/N: Okay, apparently chapter 26 got the blood pumping, if the amount of reviews I got is any indication. Let's keep that heart rate up, shall we? Remember, I love you all and appreciate the reviews more than you know. I hope you enjoy this chapter. This week's updates should still come each day, but the timing of them might be a little messy. We are supposed to be getting temperatures into the 90's and 100's. Now, to some that may not be a big deal. I, however, live in a region of the U.S. that rarely sees those type of temps. Therefore, few have air conditioners. We have one in our master bedroom, but the rest of the house will be scorching. I will not be home a lot as I will be seeking out cool places to take my children. Anyway, thanks again.

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The phone rang and Logan answered it quickly, hoping that Veronica would be on the other end.

"Logan, it's Keith. Have you heard anything from Veronica again?" He was hoping that Veronica had called the boy and let her know that she was alright.

"No, nothing. Any luck with the tracker?" Logan had been going about 90 mph since hitting the highway, hoping that he would be able to close the distance between him and Veronica.

"Well, they stopped a little bit ago. They've been there for a while, but I don't know if it's a pit stop or if they are going to keep moving. Hopefully he didn't get rid of the phone. I'm about an hour to the East of their current location and my border patrol contact said that they passed through the border about two hours ago."

"I wasn't able to reach him in time for them to stop the car. Between me talking to him and him relaying the message to all of his agents, we just missed them. He looked through the video surveillance they have, though. He said that she looked fine, she wasn't hurt. Lamb is still working with the Mexican police to coordinate something, but this is Lamb. I don't want to rely on him alone. Where are you?" He asked, hoping the boy was closer than he was.

"I'm just pulling up to the border. I don't know how fast he was driving, but I'm going to get there as fast as possible. I'll call you for more specific directions when I get a little closer. Call me if they start moving again, okay?"

"Sounds good. Hey, Logan, thank you." Keith couldn't express how much gratitude he had for this high school rich kid who seemed to be sacrificing so much for Veronica. There was a time when he thought that no one in Neptune would be kind to the Mars', let alone sacrifice anything for them.

Yet, here was this spoiled rich teenage boy. By definition he should have been at his most selfish, and Keith had witnessed many of the boy's selfish, juvenile acts over the years. Over the last couple of weeks, though, the he had acted like more of a man than most of the men Keith knew. He had definitely earned Keith's trust and respect. As odd as it sounded, the ex-Sheriff, who was used to working with highly trained professionals over the years, was relying heavily on Logan for help in saving Veronica.

"Mr. Mars, there is no need for that. No disrespect, but I'd be here whether you wanted it or not." Logan was absolutely serious. There was nothing that could pull him away from searching for Veronica.

"I know. That is why I'm thanking you. I'll talk to you later. Call me in about a half an hour."

"Will do. Later." Logan hung up and passed through the border easily.

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They pulled up in front of a small, beautiful church. Troy came around the car and opened her door for her again, helping her out. He continued to hold her hand, then put his other hand on the small of her back, guiding her into the church.

In the foyer of the church was a priest. He had been waiting for them and shook Troy's hand, then Veronica's. He was smiling and asked Troy if they were ready. Veronica wondered what Troy must have told this kind-looking man. He didn't seem to know what was truly happening.

'Maybe I can signal him or something,' Veronica thought as she looked around the church trying to find an escape. 'Of course, I don't have any transportation, any money or identification, my cell phone is still at the villa and I'm dressed in a wedding gown. Exactly where do I think I'm going?'

The three of them walked to the front of the church and the priest turned to face them. Troy and Veronica were facing each other, still holding hands.

"Let us pray." The priest and Troy closed their eyes and bowed their heads. Veronica looked at them and then quickly began looking around the chapel, trying to find anything that would save her. Just as she was considering using one of the candelabra's to hit Troy over the head, the priest ended the prayer and began the ceremony.

It was the quickest catholic wedding ceremony she'd ever attended. The Catholic wedding's she'd been to had always been drawn out and consisted of a lot of ritual. Veronica wasn't sure if the Mexican Catholics were just different or if Troy had requested a shorter ceremony. It's not like either of them were religious anyway.

It seemed like she was in a dream state, although, it definitely was not a dream. She was shocked at the events taking place. From the moment Troy kidnaped her from the school, she had been in a state of disbelief. She knew that these things were happening. She had been kidnaped and driven to Mexico by Troy. She'd been taken to their new home and undressed by her "fiancé" and she was, in fact, marrying him. All of these things had happened, but she just couldn't grasp that it was all real.

'Of course,' she thought to herself as Troy slipped the most beautiful wedding set she'd ever seen onto her finger. He had planned out all of the details and this was reality to him, why wouldn't he have a real ring for her.  
When he handed her his matching band, she put it on his finger with robotic like movements. She didn't even question it, she did it because that is what came next in this screwed up nightmare she was living.

"You may now kiss the bride."

She blanched when Troy's lips covered hers, remembering the last kiss they'd had. It was when he'd attacked her behind the school. He kissed her roughly and then pushed her against the wall. She remembered his words clearly, 'I'll be seeing you around, Veronica.'

She shuttered at the reality of his words and a single tear fell down her cheek. Troy pulled back and looked into her eyes. He smiled and wiped away the tear.

"I know, sweet baby. It's been such a long time coming. I'm so happy. Let's sign the certificate and make this thing official! Then, we can get back to the villa and celebrate our love."

Troy was watching over her as she signed the marriage certificate. She couldn't not sign it and she couldn't make any obvious marks, so she signed it.

"Veronica E. Mars," Troy stated as he read it.

'Obviously he didn't think that learning my middle name was an important part to stalking me or he'd know that "E" isn't my middle initial.'

She wasn't trying to send any signals, she knew it was unlikely that anyone would ever see the document. They would have to be looking for a marriage certificate in order to stumble across it and who would think that Troy would let them continue using their real names.

It was kind of ingenious. In his mind, there was no reason that they should change their names. They were in love and they had moved to Mexico to get married and start their lives together. It might actually work in his favor, though, because who would be looking for them under their real names? Everyone would expect them to be using aliases.

She didn't want to sign her real name, though. That would just give further consent to the sham of a union. And the 'E?' It was silly, really. It was just a reminder she wanted to keep with her.

Troy thanked the priest and then walked Veronica to the car, talking excitedly the whole time. He referred to her as Mrs. Vandergraff and she almost fainted.

"Oh, baby. You're probably so hot in this wedding dress. We'll get you home and out of these clothes soon."

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When they arrived back at the villa, Troy stopped her at the front door and picked her up to carry her across the threshold. He was smiling at her the entire time. He was the picture of the romantic newlywed husband. He continued to carry her toward the bedroom and she began to panic. She was thinking of any excuse she could use to keep them away from that room.

"Uh, Troy, I'm really hungry. Shouldn't we eat something first. We haven't eaten since we've been on the road." She really was hungry, but her true motivation was time. Whatever she could do to avoid the inevitable, she would.

"You're right, baby." He said as he entered the bedroom with her. "I knew we'd need something so I arranged for a special wedding night dinner for us. The food should be here in about 20 minutes. In the meantime, I'm going to prepare a nice, relaxing bath for you." He kissed her forehead.

"Oh, and I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" 'What like my mother bound and gagged in the bathroom, waiting to congratulate me?' She didn't want any part of Troy's freaky surprises.

"Yes, a surprise. I know that you didn't have much time to shop for our honeymoon, so I picked up some things for you." When he set her down in the bathroom, he brought her attention to an outfit that was hanging on the back of the door. It was a white silk corset with a sheer cover. It had attached garters that would hold up the white thigh-high nylons that were laying on a shelf. Next to them were a pair of white silk thong panties and four-inch high heels.

She swallowed audibly as she stared at the material, which under different circumstances, she would have admired. She would have thought it was the perfect mixture of purity and sexiness. It was something she could see wearing on her wedding night.

Unfortunately, this was not a different circumstance. She was expected to display herself for Troy in the lingerie. She noticed Troy looking at her expectantly.

"I-I'm speechless. It, it's beautiful." She wasn't lying. It was beautiful.

"I knew you'd love it." He started the bath for her. She watched as he added a blend of lily-scented bath beads and bubbles. He completed the set up by adding live lilies to the water and lighting several candles that he had placed around the bathroom. He kissed her softly and looked into her eyes.

"I'll be right out here setting up and I'll bring your food in when it arrives." He left and Veronica wondered what he meant by 'setting up.' 'What's he setting up, now?'

She was happy that she had a moment to herself and the first thing she did was move toward the window. Unfortunately, it was sealed shut. The only way she would be able to get out of it was to break it. With Troy in the adjoining room, that wasn't an option. He would be in the bathroom too quickly for her to make an escape and it would limit her ability to escape at a later time.

As much as she wanted to get away from him, she had to be smart and use patience. She had to make sure she had a good chance going unnoticed by him or, not only would he stop her from leaving, he would punish her for it. He wouldn't extend her the freedom of bathing by herself again, if he knew that she was a flight risk.  
She undressed and got into the tub, thinking of what was to come. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she would have laughed. She had spent the last ten months of her life thinking she'd been raped. She found out that wasn't true...just in time to be raped anyway. And, this time she would be fully aware of what was happening to her and she'd have to remember it.

She didn't know what was worse. The months she'd spent wondering what happened to her at Shelly's party or being able to remember every word, every touch, every last detail about such an awful experience.

She knew one thing, though. She wasn't going to make it easy on Troy. She would try everything she could to delay any intimacy with him. If that didn't work, she didn't know what she would do. It wasn't in her nature to just 'roll over and take it' in a manner of speaking. Her first choice would be to fight back with everything she had. The question was, was that the smart thing to do. She knew from their last encounter just how strong and vicious he could be. Would fighting back make it worse for her? The probability was that he would overpower her and would rape her anyway. Unless she could figure out some way to completely catch him off guard and knock him out in some way, would it be worth it? Her stomach turned at the thoughts of what lie ahead. Her choices of getting into a physical confrontation with him and maybe being raped more violently; or giving into him in hopes of gaining his trust and ensuring her future escape, were not appealing options.

She had long given up on any white knight rushing to her aid. If she'd had any hope left after they passed the border, it vanished the moment the priest said, 'I pronounce you husband and wife.' She looked down at the gorgeous ring on her finger. She desperately wished for different circumstances.

Not that she would normally choose to get married at seventeen, but if she had to, she wished Logan were the one waiting for her in the bedroom. The whole day would have been so wonderful. The details that went into the wedding and honeymoon had taken thoughtfulness and planning. She could handle giving her virginity, in essence, to Logan. He may not be in love with her, but she knew he cared for her and would take care of her.

She didn't really know what to expect from Troy, but she knew the violent side of him. Logan would never physically hurt her.

Not that it mattered, none of it mattered. She wasn't in other circumstances. Troy was her husband and he was waiting for her in the bedroom.

She was pulled out her thoughts by the knock on the door. She quickly checked to make sure the bubbles covered her as the door opened and Troy popped his head in. He pushed the door fully open and rolled in a cart of food.

"Wah-lah! For my bride tonight, we have all of your favorites. We have your favorite Thai food dishes which, by the way, are not easy to get in Mexico. Anything for my baby. Then, we have a little Tillamook Mudslide ice cream with all toppings you love so much." He placed the plate on the side of the tub and then began to eat his own food.

"How's your bath, baby?" Veronica was sure that he'd called her 'baby' for the millionth time. If she never heard that word again, it'd be too soon.  
"Nice." This was her chance, though. She yawned really big. "You know, it's been such a big day, with traveling and the wedding, that I'm just so exhausted. Maybe we should just sleep tonight." She had to tread very carefully so that he didn't see her true intentions and get angry.

"We could, it has been a long day." He paused for a moment and her optimism resurfaced. "Of course, even as tired as I am, I still desire you. I can't wait to be with you, can you? Are you so tired that you don't want me?"

"That's not what I was saying. I just thought that our first time together would be better if we weren't so tired." 'Please, please, give this to me.'

"Don't you worry about that, baby. You could never disappoint me. Now, eat up, it'll give you energy." He smiled and waggled his eyebrows at her.

She had been hungry earlier, but lost her appetite and became nauseous. She picked at the food a little, hoping he wouldn't notice. It didn't seem to phase him at all.

For having stalked her for years and knowing as much about her as he did, he wasn't very observant of her true feelings. Every time she was scared or upset about something, he only seemed to misconstrue the signals. She wondered if that was because he'd spent so much time creating what she should be in his mind, and not learning about who she really was. Sure, details about the food she liked, tastes in clothing, favorite smells. Those are textbook things about her. They don't show a true understanding of who she is. 

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Logan called Keith again and was informed that the signal had not moved and they planned to meet up at the town limits. At the rate Logan was moving, it would still take about 30 minutes.

He wondered momentarily about what it was that had kept them in one spot for so long. He quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind when they became too much. He had learned a lot from Keith over the last few days about staying focused on the problem. They needed to get to Veronica and thinking of all the things that Troy could be doing to her would not help him get there any faster. 

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When Troy was done eating, he put both of their plates back on the cart and started to leave.

"I know you're enjoying your bath, baby, but hurry up okay? You wouldn't want to keep your husband waiting too long, would you?" He called over his shoulder.

"Okay, it might take a while for me to get into that beautiful outfit, though." She smiled as sweetly as she could.

"Well, then better get started, huh?" He stopped and turned around, grabbing a towel off of the rack. He unfolded it and held it up for her to get out of the tub.

"Oh, that's alright. I still have to rinse off the bubbles." She didn't want to get out of the bath tub in front of him and knew that she'd pushed him a little too far. She started to drain the tub so he would know she was serious. She was walking a fine line and needed to make sure she kept him happy, but not too happy.

He seemed satisfied with her answer and left the bathroom with the cart. She rinsed off, stepped out of the tub and dried herself. She got dressed slowly, not only because she was dreading going into the bedroom, but because it was a complicated outfit. There had to have been a good 20 hooks on the corset. Then, she got the thigh-highs connected after a lot of twisting into odd angles to fasten the ones in the back, only to figure out that she'd not put the thong on first. She had to unfasten the thigh-highs, put the thong on, then redo the thigh-highs. She felt like she had gotten such a workout that she needed another shower.

Veronica put on the sheer cover hoping for at least a minimal amount of coverage. She finished the look with the 4-inch heels and turned to appraise herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. It fit her perfectly and she looked amazing. She just stood there staring at herself wishing she were somewhere else.

'Just a couple of months ago, I was sure I'd never get married. Now, here I am, the seventeen-year old wife of a psychotic stalker. This is not how I saw my life going.'

She was still going to look for an opportunity to catch Troy unaware and knock him out with something, but she wasn't very optimistic about that possibility.

She tried to convince herself that this was just sex and that it wasn't a big deal. She wasn't like Lilly, though, who looked at sex purely as physical enjoyment. Veronica had thought of her virginity as something sacred and something that she would give to the man she loved. She had never vowed to wait until marriage, but she hadn't ruled it out either.

'This isn't your virginity, though, Veronica. That was taken...or given away a long time ago. This is just sex. You can do this.' Then, she had an idea of how she could get through sex with Troy.

'Maybe if I just keep my eyes shut and think of Logan the whole time, I can get through this without being sick.'

She was taken from her thoughts by the knock at the door and fully expected to see Troy's head pop in again. This time, he called out to her first.

"I'm coming in, are you ready?" She knew there was no more stalling.

"Yes, but go sit on the bed. I'll come out to you." 'Logan, Logan, Logan.'

"Sounds great, baby." She heard him walk over and bounce onto the bed. "I'm ready whenever you are!" He sing-songed.  
'Wonderful. He's just full of excitement, isn't he?'

She opened the door slowly and saw the candle-lit room and heard the soft music playing. Her eyes landed on Troy, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands. The moment she stepped through the door and he saw her, he was in awe of her beauty. He sat up straight without saying a word.

Veronica could see his breathing increase and by the look of his boxers, he was already excited. His eyes were transfixed on her body as he rose from the bed and closed the gap between them.

"Oh, baby, you're gorgeous," he whispered in her ear. He caressed her face and put a hand under her chin, angling her face toward his. His lips descended on her softly and she began to shake.

Troy pulled back from her and slowly slipped the sheer cover off of each shoulder, kissing them as he bared them. The garment dropped to the floor and she swallowed hard. The amount of protection the thin piece of material had afforded her, had been shed. She felt naked in front of him as his gaze roamed her body. She was on display as he slowly circled her. He stopped when he got behind her and moved her hair out of the way as he bent to kiss her neck and nibble on her ear.

His hands began to roam across her body. He had one wrapped around her and caressing her breast and the other wrapped around her waist. He was pulling her toward him and his erection was pressing into her as he guided her toward the bed.

When they reached the bed he turned her around and gently pushed her to lay on her back. She closed her eyes as he ran his hands up her legs and followed that pattern with his lips. He kissed up to her stomach and each of her breasts.

'Logan, Logan, Logan, Logan...' she was chanting his name continually in her head. Her heart was beating so hard, she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. Her breathing had shallowed to the point she thought she'd pass out and she was sweating. Her mouth had dried so severely that she was having trouble swallowing.

Troy licked up her neck and started working on her ear, his hands again roaming her body and his knee spreading her legs.

'Logan, Logan, Logan, Logan...' she wasn't sure she could do it. Her skin was crawling and as much as she was trying, she was battling herself. Her body was rigid and her fists were clenched at her sides.

'Logan! Logan! Logan!' She was screaming his name in her mind, hoping to drown out Troy's seduction.

"WHAT! WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" Troy screamed at her as her eyes flew open in time to see the fire reflected back in his.

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unlovedgirl: Welcome! I haven't heard from you before, but it's nice to have you! Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy the story as much as I have loved writing it.

XXspuffster101XX: Why, thank you. Thank you very much. And, welcome. It's nice to hear from you and I really appreciate your detailed comments. I really like to hear what readers are thinking about. It helps me know whether I'm getting across what I want. Ok, let me put your heart to rest a little. Everything will be okay in the end. I know that's not very comforting...especially after this chapter, but trust me. Stick with me and we'll be okay. Believe me, my heart was pounding when I was writing these chapters. I kind of know what you're going through, even though I knew where the story was headed. Anyway, thanks again. I hope you keep reading and enjoying. And, yes, if Logan and Veronica had listened to me, they wouldn't have gone and assumed all the wrong things. Unfortunately, they have minds of their own and I have NO control over what they do. What can I say:-)

RBDFAN: How about now?

2honest4myowngood: Thank you. Uh oh! No rescue here.

09nerLoVer: Oh no! He's not looking so nice now.

SaraLyleth: You know, I've spent a lot of time thinking about Veronica during this time. Although, I know that V is normally real tough, she is generally real tough in isolated incidents. In my fic, she's had more to deal with physically and emotionally in a shorter amount of time than she ever did in canon. Everyone has their breaking point...but I honestly don't believe that she's all that broken. I think that her fight has been dissolved a little by all that she's been through and the fact that she sees herself in a situation with no rescue. She is at her lowest point and all she has to rely on is herself (so she thinks). Although she seems weak, she is staying strong enough to think through her actions. Had she refused Troy to this point, what would he have done to her? In canon, there are very few times when she actually rescues herself. Her father, Wallace and Logan have come to her rescue countless times...especially with the more serious situations. Then, I look at times when she has broken down emotionally...the shower after she found out about Logan bringing GHB to Shelley's, S1 finale when she was scared and in the freezer, S1 finale when she was scared for her father, S2 finale on the roof and again the next morning before she knows her dad is alive, etc. So, although, I know she's tough, I also know that her kick-ass self facade falters from time to time. I don't know.

I do appreciate what you are saying. I can't tell you how much I thought about all of this while I was writing it. I was nervous about getting too far away from her character and I do work in later chapters to try to restore some of her harder self...to a point. Anyway, if ch 26 was hard for you to take, ch. 27 probably didn't do you real good either. Stick with me, ch. 28 will be better for you. AND, I know that I probably WAY overanswered your comment about her, but it's more of all of the things that went through my brain while writing the story. Just ignore me, I get on a roll and can't shut myself up. (And, you wondered why this was a 46 ch, so far, fic) I just can't shut myself up. :-)

I'm glad you could really picture the Logan scene. I try to write and describe scene the way I see them in my head, I'm glad it worked for you. Thanks, I really do love hearing all of your thoughts!!

IluvVM: well, looks like you're still in a holding pattern...wait for it...

hulahula551: WELCOME! I don't believe I've heard from you before. So...how did it live up to your expectations? Thanks for the kind comments. Hang in there, we know that the calvary is on its way, we just don't know when they're going to get there.

LoVeNaleyJamLiterati: Ah, welcome back! Well, although I don't watch the OC, I'll take your word for it. Let's hope Logan and Keith hurry up...things aren't looking too great.

shetlandlace: okay, keep waiting just a bit longer. We know they're coming, but when?

lagurlroks: Ok, so how was that for freaky? Is your skin crawling yet. Because, you know, this treatment won't stop until your skin is crawling. Ready to cry 'Uncle' yet:-)

Sagebeth: Well then, you must REALLY be in love now! lol

VMLoVeR87: You are so very welcome, thank you! And, the psycho continues...

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Ok, I think that could be an understatement. Not sure, though. lol

RedBrick: thank you so much. I hope you do enjoy. We've got lots more to come!

musicismylife08: hehehehehehe, okay, I REALLY did not intend to take so long to update. I've been away from the computer. I swear it's not my fault and all hit men should be sent in search of my husband, not me. It's always his fault, right?

xosummerxo: well, so I explained the boarder patrol thing, but a lot of people asked about it. I'm not sure if this is a good enough explanation for it. Hope so. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Literati and naley forever: Well, I really hope that I have conveyed V's thinking when it comes to escaping. I think she's trying to play it smart. Thanks for the review!

Lorelei Candice Black: You have painted quite the picture. That would be cool!

Sofy2409: Don't worry too much about V's room. That will be dealt with a little later and I think you'll appreciate it. I hope that the explanation of the border worked for you. I just couldn't have V's adventure cut short. Thank you so much for all of your kind words! I really appreciate them and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Adja: Yes, see...I agree with you with the whole boy/girl muscles issue. That is why I wrote V the way I did through this. I will take a look at you lj. Thanks:-)

LoVeElle: Yea! Logan knows he's loved. I always LoVe that!! Okay, okay, okay. So, this chapter probably did not do great for your heart condition. Stick with me...we know the calvary is on its way...eventually. And, yes. I believe that your heart will have the opportunity to beat faster for the right reasons...soon.

AJzkitten69: How creepy is he now??? Hehehehehehe


	28. Chapter 28

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 28 

A/N: Okay, so I did not address each review personally. I'm sorry about that, but I got 32 reviews and it probably would have taken me about an hour and a half to respond to each of them. I would like to say a big thank you to all of my regular reviewers...I love continuing our ongoing conversations. To the new reviewers. It is wonderful to hear from you, also. Chapter 27 must have really struck a chord since I heard from a lot of new people and I got such strong reactions from everyone. I really appreciate your feedback. Please keep reading, everyone. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Thx!

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"WHAT! WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" Troy screamed at her as her eyes flew open in time to see the fire reflected back in his.

Veronica knew that she must have said Logan's name aloud. She panicked momentarily before responding.

"I-I called you Lover. You don't like that name?" She was hoping that he would buy it, but was disappointed.

"No, you didn't," Troy said in a menacingly low voice. Veronica remembered that voice and prepared herself for the physical beating that was coming. At least this time she was expecting it and could fight back.

"You called me Logan, didn't you?" She was shaking her head, but it didn't calm him. "You called me Logan. YOU CALLED ME LOGAN!! YOU'RE MY WIFE, HOW DARE YOU CALL ME LOGAN!" He slapped her across the face and she screamed out in pain.

The pain was blinding, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to take this from him again. She caught him by surprise when she slammed both of her fists into his erection. Unfortunately, for her, it only served to make him collapse on top of her while he held himself.

She pushed at his shoulders and scooted him far enough to the side for her to get out from under him. She pushed herself off the bed, but Troy caught her wrist and yanked her back. He had her hands caught behind her back while he pinned her down by sitting on her stomach. He towered over her and was rearing back to strike her hard. She knew it was going to hurt, that he would probably kill her, eventually.

Knowing that she couldn't stop this blow, she flinched and closed her eyes. She heard the hit connect, but didn't feel the pain. She wondered if he had hit her so hard he'd knock her out. When her mind came back into focus she heard other voices and felt someone picking her up.

She opened her eyes and looked straight into an intensely brown heaven.

"Logan?" she whispered, sure that she must be dreaming and that Troy would make her pay after hearing her call him that again.  
"Ronnie, oh, Ronnie, I'm so sorry. We're here now. You're safe now." Her eyes filled with tears and she broke into uncontrollable tears.

"Lo-gan?" she sobbed, still not convinced that it was truly him. When she looked up and saw that he was carrying her toward that ugly yellow thing he called a car, she began half-crying, half-laughing. She was never more glad to see any vehicle in her entire life.

When her dad had been Sheriff, every time she saw a patrol car she felt a little more safe. She knew the men and women behind the shields on the sides of the cars; and they knew her. They would protect the Sheriff's daughter no matter what. That feeling didn't hold a candle to the feeling she had at the sight of the pompous yellow SUV that stared back at her.

Logan set her down by the SUV, but her legs gave way and he caught her just before she hit the ground. He held her up and opened his back door. He sat her in the seat and then took off the button up shirt he was wearing over his t-shirt. He wrapped it around her and buttoned it up.

She had not let go of him except to put her arms through the sleeves. She was grasping his arms so tightly, he was sure he was going to be the one to end up with the bruises this time, but he didn't mind. He got into the back seat with her and she crawled into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her securely as she snuggled into his safety.

"We, who?" Veronica asked out of the blue.

"What, what was that?" Logan was caught off guard by her speaking at all.

"Earlier. You said, 'we're here.' Who's we?" She had lifted her eyes to look at Logan.

"Your dad. He's the one that got Troy off of you. He's in there with him now, waiting for the authorities to show up." He informed her.

"Dad? Oh," she sighed her relief. With her two favorite guys on the job, she knew she'd be safe.

"Veronica," he waited until she was looking at him again. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"He slapped me across the face again." She turned her head so he could see the red mark.

"Did he...do...anything else?" Logan didn't know how to ask her what he wanted to know.

"He didn't rape me, Logan. I'll be okay." She was shocked when he broke down crying.

"Logan?" He continued to cry as he hugged her. "Logan, I'm okay. I promise. You and dad saved me. You are my hero, again!" She chuckled a bit, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, Ronnie, you have no idea of how scared I was. I was so afraid of what he would do to you and that I'd lost you forever." He was talking through the streaming tears. All of the fear and stress he'd felt all day, was finally coming to the surface and he couldn't hold them back any longer. He was about to continue when he heard the sirens and soon they saw the Mexican police pull up.

The police went into the house and a couple of minutes later were coming out with a cuffed Troy. His eyes landed on Veronica immediately and he became enraged at seeing her in Logan's arms.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY FRIGGIN' WIFE!" He was screaming and bucking against the officers. Veronica was flinching and trying to crawl farther into the vehicle.

Keith rushed over to the vehicle. "Logan, get her out of here now! Drive her to a hotel somewhere and let me know where you're staying. Don't let her out of your sight and I'm not leaving Troy until he's in a cell."

"Honey, I love you and I'll see you soon. You'll be safe with Logan. Keith ran back toward the officers struggling with Troy, who was still yelling.

Logan nodded and tried to get out of the back seat to get into the driver's seat, but Veronica grabbed his arm and shook her head violently.

Logan grabbed her. "Look, we've got to get out of here, we'll go far away from Troy, okay?"

She nodded and he continued. "I need to get into the front seat. Do you want to come with me?" She nodded.

"Okay, let's go." They both got out and he let her into the driver's seat. She crawled over the console and he saw the thong and garter. "Oh, geez."

"What?" He just shook his head.

"We're going to have to get you out of those clothes." She laughed a little out of relief to hear something so normal coming from Logan. It was comforting.

"You have no idea how much I want to shed this outfit!" She wanted to rid herself of everything Troy.

Logan started up the car and they drove off quickly. They could still hear Troy yelling and Logan saw Veronica turn to watch him through the window.

"Hey, you're safe now. Not only are we leaving him in the dust, but you're father is going to make sure he gets into custody. And, to top it off, you'll be lucky if you get to go to the bathroom without me as an audience." She chuckled.

"You think I'm kidding." Logan wasn't kidding. He didn't know how he would justify it, but he didn't plan on taking his eyes or at least his ears off of her for a very long time.

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They drove in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts of what had happened and what could have happened. Both of them thankful for the other's presence.

Veronica was brought out of her thoughts when the SUV came to a stop. She looked up and saw that they were in a hotel parking lot. It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't a dive, either. It didn't matter anyway. She wasn't spending the night with Troy; that was all that counted. 

Logan turned to her, "Wait here. I'll come around to your door, okay?" She nodded silently.

Logan walked around the vehicle, stopping at the door behind Veronica's and grabbing his bag. He opened her door and helped her out, leading her to the office. He paid for a room in cash and left false names, then they headed to their room.

They walked into the room and surveyed its contents. It only had one bed, but they were used to sharing a bed and neither of them wanted to be far away from the other, so neither mentioned it.

Logan locked and chained the door behind them and then walked into the bathroom and turned on the light. Veronica thought it was funny. He looked like he was checking for the bogeyman, but she was didn't mind. At that moment, she was a little afraid of the bogeyman.

"Well, looks like all is secure. You want to get some rest?" He motioned to the bed.

"Yeah, let me just go to the bathroom first and wash Troy off of my face and neck and..." she shuttered and didn't really want to continue.

"Well, I've got to get cleaned up, too. Why don't I go with you?" He started to head into the bathroom when she stopped him.

"As much as I appreciate it, I think I can do this on my own." She gave him an understanding look. She knew exactly why he was acting the way he was and she didn't blame him.

Logan hesitated, but then agreed. "Okay, but leave the door cracked." He wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Alright, Logan. I'll leave door cracked." She walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open a bit.

She began to unbutton Logan's shirt so she could get out of her wedding night attire. When she laid his shirt down, she looked into the mirror above the sink.

"Oh, no!" She cried out. Within seconds Logan was bursting through the bathroom door. Veronica spun around and saw the panic-stricken look on his face.

"What! What's wrong?" He was panting from the short sprint across the hotel room and the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body.

"He marked me," she said as she uncovered her neck and the hickey that was displayed there.

"Oh, Veronica. You scared the crap out of me." When he saw her cover it back up, he walked over to her, enveloping her in a hug.  
"It's okay, Ronnie. It'll go away, it's just an outside mark. Like the marks last week, this will fade. He stepped back and looked down at her, getting his first real look at her attire.

"Hell, Ronnie! What are you wearing?!" His eyes were bugged out as he stared at her.

"Troy went honeymoon shopping for me, since he knew I didn't have much time to do it for myself." She scoffed. "Yeah, no time since I didn't know I was going on my honeymoon," she added sarcastically.

"I didn't think I looked that bad, Logan. Geez! Way to kick a girl when she's down!" She shook her head and laughed.

"No, I..." He began, but then a frown crossed his face as he realized what else she had said. "What do you mean, your honeymoon? And, what did Troy mean about you being his wife?" Logan had caught onto that earlier, but didn't have time to question her about it.

Veronica looked uncomfortable. She was ashamed, although, logically she knew she shouldn't be.

"Well, he's right. I'm his wife. We were married this afternoon." She held out her ring finger as proof. "You just broke up our wedding night." She looked stunned for a minute and then the color drained from her face.

"I married him. I didn't know what else to do. I'm married to Troy, Logan." She was beginning to feel sick and had to sit down on the side of the tub.

"I don't know if it's legal, though, but we did get married...in a church...with a priest."

"What do you mean? Why...?" He was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Logan, how's our girl doing?"

"Good, we just got checked into a hotel about a half an hour north of the villa."

"Oh, great. I'm going be joining you then. Troy is in custody and I will be going back in a few hours to transport him back to Neptune. They have no desire to deal with him. They just want him out of their country and I want him, so it's working out wonderfully." Keith chuckled. He didn't want to hand Troy over to anyone else and risk him escaping during transport. He'd make sure Troy got into the cell at the Neptune County Sheriff's Department.

"Oh, and tell Veronica that if she's up to it, I'd like to ask her some questions about today. If she's too exhausted, that's okay, but it would be really helpful. Plus, I'd like to have a minute to talk with my little girl, if possible."

"Will do, I think she can manage for a little bit." Logan gave him the name and directions to the hotel and then ended the call.  
"Your dad is on his way. If you can stand to stay awake, he'd like to talk to you about today and just make sure you're okay. I think he just wants to hold his baby and know you're okay for himself." Logan noticed the odd look that crossed Veronica's face, but couldn't place it.

"Yeah, I'd like to see him, too," she said softly.

"Well, then. We'd better get you dressed before Daddy Mars sees us and gets the wrong impression, huh?" He chuckled as he pointed to her outfit. "Although, I don't mind it, he probably will."

"Yeah, I'd rather him not have the vision of me in lingerie in his head. It ranks at the top of my most humiliating moments list." She paused for a moment and then looked down at herself. "Actually, so does this."

She grabbed Logan's shirt again and wrapped it around her bottom half and then turned away from him.

"It'll be faster if you unhook the 20 or so hooks for me." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Me?" Logan's voice cracked like it had when he was going through puberty.

'Is she trying to kill me?' Then he remembered her words from earlier. She thought that he thought she looked ridiculous in the outfit and she was humiliated in front of him. He didn't want to make her feel exposed, but he certainly didn't want her to think that she was anything, but gorgeous. If he had his way, he'd definitely be the one helping her out of the lingerie...just with different intentions than what she was thinking.

"Yeah, you. Look, I've covered as much of me as possible. It took forever to get into this little getup and you could unhook the corset in a matter of seconds. Just hurry up, okay? I'm done with this outfit. Anything that makes me the reality of Troy's fantasies, is not something I want to wear." She shrugged.

He began opening the corset and tried to think of how to verbalize his thoughts.

"Just so you know, it's not just one of Troy's fantasies. You look hot, Ronnie." He used that cocky, playful voice, trying to downplay just how turned on he really was by her.

"Yeah, right," she reached behind her and smacked his hip. She really didn't know how big of an affect she had on him.

When he was done with the corset, he left the bathroom so she could finish undressing. He still left the door cracked open.

A few minutes later, she came out in his shirt and climbed under the blankets. When Logan saw her, he smirked.

'She would look just as good in nothing, but my shirt as she does decked out in hot lingerie. Of course, it could have something to do with knowing that my shirt is caressing her very bare skin. I may never wash that thing again.' He chuckled to himself.  
He laid on top of the blankets, knowing he'd need to get up and answer the door when Keith arrived. 

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About twenty minutes into watching all-Spanish tv, there was a knock at the door. Logan rose to let Keith into the room.

He watched as Keith nodded at him and dropped a sack by the door as he rushed straight for the bed to embrace Veronica. She began crying and he just squeezed her tighter while he rocked her. He eventually pulled back and looked at her face. He brushed her hair back with his hand and kissed her head.

"Are you alright?" He said reverently, like he was holding the most precious cargo in the world.

"Yeah, I'm just so glad you're here." She was wiping the remaining tears away.

"Me, too. I only got to see you for a second before you had to leave. You're okay, though, right?"  
He needed to make sure.

"Yeah, I'm a little tired and it's been a tense day, but I'll be okay. Bet you need my statement, huh Sheriff?" She looked at him knowingly. She knew that he loved her and was concerned about her, but she also took after him. They both wanted to get to the facts and make sure that the 'bad guys' were brought to justice.

"Well, we don't have to, if you don't want. You are going to have to give a statement to Lamb tomorrow, anyway. It's up to you."

"No, it's okay. I trust you to do more with the information than he ever will. What do you want to know, Sheriff Mars." She nodded her head and wore a serious expression on her face, but snickered at his playfully stern look.

"Just tell me everything that happened today and I'll ask questions as we go along." He spoke softly, a practice he'd learned in order to put victims at ease during the interview phase.

Veronica began telling her father all of the details she could remember beginning when Wallace delivered the note to her in 3rd period. Her father feverishly scribbled notes and occasionally stopped her to ask her questions, in order to firm up timelines and witnesses. He tried to interrupt as little as possible so that she didn't lose her train of thought, another trait he'd learned.

She saw the scribbling subside when she recalled Troy 'helping' her dress in her wedding gown. She had been ashamed in front of Troy and she felt all that same shame when she had to recount the details of her humiliation to her father.

"I'm sorry, Dad." She was speaking quietly and couldn't bear to look at him. "I didn't want to undress in front of him, but I didn't know what he would do if he got mad. And, he didn't seem to be interested in doing anything else at that point. He thought it was really important for us to be married first."

"Veronica, listen very carefully. You did great. Don't you be ashamed of anything that happened today. You did what you needed to do, okay? I'm very proud of you. Do you understand?" She nodded silently. "Keep going, honey."

Veronica continued with the days events. She was subconsciously playing with the wedding set on her left hand when she spoke about the wedding and her eyes filled with tears as she remembered her feeling of hopelessness when the priest pronounced them husband and wife.

Her father stopped her. "I found this in the villa, Veronica." He handed her a copy of the marriage certificate.

"Yeah, I wondered what was in the folder the priest had handed Troy before we left. Obviously a memento from my big day." She sounded so dejected.

"Veronica, whose name is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"The signature reads Veronica E. Mars. Now, I may be getting older, but I seem to recall naming you and 'E' is not your middle initial." He shot her a proud smile.

"Yeah, I couldn't think of any other way to make it less real. I didn't know if that would invalidate it or if Troy would notice. He was standing over my shoulder, but apparently he thought that the 'E.' looked fine." She was smiling back at her dad, the first since beginning her statement.

"So, you just pulled a letter out of thin air, huh?"

"Uh...um, yeah, I guess so." If her father hadn't spent so many years studying people's behavior, he may not have noticed the hesitation and the way her eyes shifted quickly in the direction of Logan. Although she didn't actually look at the boy, it was enough to confirm Keith's suspicions. If his daughter didn't have romantic feelings for the boy, she at least called on the safety she felt when with him, to get through a tough situation.

She continued to tell her father of the special dinner arrangements and the attention he'd taken when drawing her bath for her. She pointed toward the lingerie, now laying on a chair across the room and described all of the details he'd seen to in the bedroom. Then, she stopped talking.

"Then what happened, honey?"

"Then...you guys were there and Logan was carrying me to the Xterra."

"Veronica, please tell me what happened from the point that you walked into the bedroom to when we found you." He knew it was difficult on her, but there were so many reasons he needed to know.  
He needed to know in order to help her. She would have to tell these things to Lamb and to a prosecutor and judge and jury, etc, etc, etc. He wanted the first person she told about those events to be someone she knew and felt comfortable with. It may help her with future interviews.  
He also needed to know all of the details he could about Troy, his fantasies, his actions and future plans. Anything that could help with the investigation, the prosecution and showing in a court of law that he should not gain freedom any time in the near future.

More selfishly, he needed to know for himself. He needed to hear Veronica tell him what she had been through that night. He would know by the way she responded whether she was hiding anything and he hoped to gain some insight into what she would be dealing with during her emotional recovery from this trauma.

"Dad." It was a plea for security, for reassurance that everything was okay.

"Veronica." He sighed. "Whatever you did to get through tonight is okay. You did everything right. The first thing that I have always told women in situations like this, is that they needed to do whatever they could to get out of the situation alive. You did that, Veronica."

"Do you understand me? If you hadn't gotten undressed in front of him, if you hadn't come into the bedroom when he called you out...we may have been too late. The rage that he was in when we came, is nothing you could have handled by yourself. You could have died tonight. You did the right thing. You are with us now because you complied with his wishes, as difficult as it was for you."

"You showed incredible strength tonight, all day. I am so proud of you. You showed strength, patience, restraint and the ability to keep cool under pressure. I couldn't be more proud."

She broke down in tears. "But, it was so hard, Dad!" She said through her tears.

"He was being so kind and thoughtful and romantic. I couldn't match up in my head the Troy I was with today and the Troy that attacked me last week." She was trying to catch her breath.

"I just kept thinking that if I could imagine myself in different circumstances that I could let him touch me...that my skin would stop crawling when he kissed his way up my body and when he whispered in my ear."

"Then he got so angry. I thought he was going to kill me and there was no way anyone would ever find me. I didn't think that Logan had gotten my message."

"He had my arms pinned behind my back and he was sitting on me." She had calmed down a bit and added in a whisper, "I didn't know what to do. I just shut my eyes and waited for the hit. The next thing I knew, I was being picked up and carried away."

"What did he get angry about?" He misinterpreted the look she shot him as misunderstanding of the question, so he rephrased it. "What made him turn from loving and romantic to rage-filled? It sounded like he was screaming Logan's name. Did it have something to do with him?"

Logan had been so quiet during the entire discussion between the Mars'. Veronica had almost forgotten that he was in the room listening to every word. That is, until her dad asked about Troy's anger and said Logan's name.

She looked at Logan for a minute and even though he was looking down toward his lap, she could tell that he was furious. His entire body was rigid, his fist was hitting his leg and she could see his clenched jaw. His face was red and the vein on the side of his forehead was strongly pronounced.

She wished she knew what he was thinking exactly. He had become very protective of her and she was sure he regretted not being able to protect her. Beyond that, though, she didn't have a clue as to what Logan was thinking with such focus and determination.

She turned to her father. "Is it okay if we talk alone for a minute?"

Although he hadn't moved or made a sound the entire time she had been speaking, she saw Logan's head whip up in surprise. She knew she needed to be strong.

"Logan, would you mind if I spoke to my dad alone for a minute?" She was looking at him with an expression that asked him to be understanding and agreeable.

Logan was floored. He had listened to her memories of every incensing detail of her ordeal. But now, when it sounded like Troy had gotten angry at her because of him, she wanted him to leave the room?

"Uh, sure," Logan cleared his throat.

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When Logan was out of the room, Keith turned back to Veronica. He didn't say anything, just waited for her to start speaking.

"I don't know how to tell you this without you looking at me differently, dad. I definitely didn't want to talk about this in front of Logan." Keith nodded.

"You can tell me anything, Veronica. I won't judge you." He knew that she was still confused by her role in everything that had happened. It was natural. Most victims take on some of the responsibility, in one way or another.

"Well, I told you about how I tried to picture myself in a different situation." He nodded again. "Well, I kind of used Logan to do that. I imagined that he was the one that had done all of those romantic things for me and that he was waiting for me on our wedding night."

"It's stupid, I know. And, I'm not saying that I want to marry him. I do have feelings for him, but he's not interested in me that way. I just thought that if I closed my eyes and pictured Logan, I could forget what was really happening and who I was really with."

"I was chanting Logan's name in my head because it was getting harder and harder to ignore Troy. I must have said his name aloud at one point because, that's when Troy got mad at me for calling him Logan. He said that I was his wife. How dare I call him Logan."  
"Please don't say anything to Logan about this. I really don't want to have to explain my feelings to him, okay?" Keith patted her leg.

"Okay." He got up and walked toward the door.

"One thing, though. You may not want to count Logan out just yet. I've had several talks with him and I think you may be misreading him, Veronica."

"Well, I wish. He actually has a girlfriend, though."

"Alright." He opened the door and ushered Logan back into the room.

"Look, I'm going to hit the sack. I've got to be up in about 4 hours to head back to the police station. Then, I'll be driving Troy back to Neptune."

"Keep your cell on...oh, which reminds me. I brought a bag of your stuff, including the clothes you were wearing and your cell phone." He pointed at the bag by the door.

"Drive safe. Stay together. I love you sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Dad."

"Thank you, Logan."

"No problem."

Keith walked out the door and Logan and Veronica just stared at each other. 

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	29. Chapter 29

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 29 

A/N: Okay, so I'm posting this again without responses to review...BUT, I will be staying home tomorrow and will get caught up on them all. This post is a little earlier today for you.

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Logan and Veronica stared at each other wondering what to say. Everything was finally silent and it was just the two of them for the rest of the night.

Logan had felt an extreme amount of loss when Veronica was missing. Although he tried to push it aside in order to focus on the search, he had been afraid that he would lose her with so much left unsaid.

After Lilly died, the one thing that he could hold on to was that he had written her a heart-felt note that laid out everything he felt for her and their relationship. He had seen her at the car wash just hours before her murder. Instead of going home and sending her an e-mail, calling her later, or just forgetting about it; he sat in his SUV and took the time to write it all out while he watched her. He left it in her car for her to find and was sure that his words were some of the last she'd ever read.

Logan's mind was racing with so much that he wanted to tell Veronica. He wanted to tell her everything before he lost his chance, but was having trouble deciding where to start.

'Do I start from day one and tell her how much I really liked her when we first met? She knows that I had a crush on her, she just doesn't know how deep those feelings were. Do I just begin  
with apologies about the last year? About just how truly sorry I am for the things I did to her and the time I lost with her? Or, do I just tell her how much these last couple of weeks have meant to me and how happy I am that she's back in my life. Or about how stupid I was to let her go and that I promise to never do it again?'

He wanted to say it all and he wanted to tell her how scared he was when she was missing and that he loved her. He almost didn't hear her above the debate going on in his head.

"So..." Veronica started slowly, searching for something to say that would break the staring contest they seemed to be caught in.

"This...is Mexico." She shook her head slowly as if in thought. "Gotta tell ya. I'm just not seeing the appeal here."

Logan chuckled. "Yeah, it doesn't have the same draw that it used to."

"We need to.." Logan started to say at the same time that Veronica collapsed back onto her pillow, arms spread and let out a loud, "Arrgh."

"What was that" Veronica lifted her head to look at him.

"Are you okay?" He wanted to make sure she felt alright. She had just dropped ungracefully and without warning.

She grunted and laid her head back down. "I think everything's finally starting to hit me. I am absolutely exhausted and emotionally drained. I don't think I'm going to be very good company tonight. I may just pass out on you."

"Well, no one would blame you." Logan replied softly as he walked around the bed and sat down next to her.

"Of course, I know you. You're going to milk this for all it's worth." He raised the pitch of his voice to mimic hers and continued. "Logan, could you get me something to drink? Oh, Logan, I'm hungry. Could you be a dear and whip me up a simple seven course meal? You know, since I was kidnaped and all."

Veronica was giggling.

"Oh, I just can't manage to take my shoes off, Logan...you know...like when I was held against my will and forced to marry 'McPsycho-Obsessed-a-lot.' Oh, and while your at it, could you brush my hair, too. You know, it's just so tough." He couldn't continue. The sound of laughter coming from her was contagious and he had to join in.

He was so happy for the levity. There had been too much weighing them down and he felt like it'd been forever since she had really laughed. Although, in reality it had only been a couple of days, it still felt like forever.

When the laughter died down, Veronica let out a huge yawn. "Are you going to get ready for bed so we can get to sleep, or what?"

"Uh, oh yeah. Yeah, I'll go do that right now." He patted her knee before he got up to go to the bathroom.

"You may want to face the wall...I plan on leaving the door open. At least a litte."

"What?" She giggled. "Do you always pee with the door open?"

"No...but, I'm not going to leave you in here alone. With our luck lately, I'd be in there for 3 minutes and come out to an empty room and another disappearing act on your part."

"So, yeah, no. Not gonna happen. Just get used to it, Sugarpuss, there is no way you are going to have any privacy anytime in the near future." He smirked at her and she just rolled her eyes and then turned to face the other wall.

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Logan was in the bathroom for just a few minutes, making sure that he kept his ears tuned to any noises coming from the other room.

He had wanted to tell her everything, but she really wasn't in any shape for a serious discussion. The problem was, he couldn't let it go...not tonight. There was too much at stake. Although he knew he couldn't cover everything with her tonight, he had to tell her he loved her. He wanted them to be together.

He walked out of the bathroom, announcing himself, "Alrighty, I'm all covered up. You can look on my magnificent figure now without being blinded by the brilliance that is all of me." He laughed as he walked around the bed.

He stopped short when he saw her sound asleep.

"Dammit." A small smile graced his lips and he shook his head. "Of course."

He climbed into bed and scooted over to her, wrapping his arms around her. She immediately snuggled into him.

"Mmm, Logan," she mumbled without waking.

"I love you, Ronnie." Logan whispered and kissed her forehead. 

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Veronica and Logan slept soundly all night long. Wrapped in each other's arms, they were completely at peace.

Being roused from his sleep by something tickling him, Logan slowly opened his eyes. When he was able to focus, he knew that he was looking at Veronica's beautiful, golden hair. Her head rested on his arm and his lips weren't even inches from brushing her forehead. He smiled knowing that, at that moment, he felt better than he'd ever felt in his life. He didn't know how long it would last, but Logan promised himself that he would do anything he could to ensure that it did.

As his alertness grew so did his awareness of her presence. Her soft breaths were floating across his neck; warming and chilling him simultaneously. He was sure that her thumb, lightly rubbing the ribs just under his chest, was responsible for waking him. Their legs were completely intertwined and, in his sleep-hazed state, he was unable to decipher where his stopped and hers began.

As he continued to contemplate their positions, he focused on the placement of his arms and hands. His arms were wrapped around her snugly, with the hand on his lower arm laying limp on the bed behind her. The hand slung over her body, though, was resting comfortably on her bare leg at the bottom of her butt.

'HOLY CRAP!' He yelled in his head and tensed, squeezing her butt in the process. His hand was in a very precarious position, considering the fact that he was now all too aware of her leg draping over his lower hip. To top it all off, she had never gotten out of bed after her dad dropped off her clothes. She was still in his shirt and absolutely nothing else; and the shirt was not helping considering it had traveled upward during the night. He was trembling at the thought of being so close to heaven.

Veronica responded to the pressure from his hand by gently kissing his throat and then continued to mumble words that he couldn't understand against his skin. The sensation was sending vibrations through his entire body. He moaned as he became light-headed. Both hands were on her now as his fingers dug into her skin just enough to press her even closer to him, but not enough to hurt her.

He could feel the pounding of his heart against his chest and he was breathing so hard that his lungs burned. He could picture himself rolling her over and entering her as he bit gently on her neck. It was taking every ounce of strength he had to not make that a reality. He was focusing all of his energy on self-control, knowing that Veronica was not aware of their current positions.

"Logan," she breathed out as her hand ran up his chest on the way to play in the hair on his neck. She was kissing his neck again and pushing her body into his.

Logan couldn't take it anymore and bent down to capture her lips with his own.

"Mmhmm," Veronica responded to him and was fully engaged in the kiss, still pushing against his body. He rolled onto his back, taking her with him, his hand still gripping her leg, while her other leg straddled him.

They broke the kiss and Logan's mouth traveled down to her neck where he found a spot that made her growl and arch her body into his. Logan was so aroused that his boxers could not contain him and their flesh pressed together in her movements. Logan could feel her moisture on him and the resistance of skin meeting skin.

Veronica's eyes flew open and she jumped up, taking the covers flying with her; leaving Logan shirtless and exposed through the opening in his boxers. He quickly grabbed a pillow to cover himself and looked at her with the eyes of a wild animal. He was flushed and breathing hard and she'd seen and felt the evidence of his aroused state.

"Oh, no. Oh, no. Logan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm really sorry." He was struggling to understand her. His mind was so clouded over that it reminded him of listening to someone speak when he was under water. As his mind began to clear, he was able to make out more and more of what she was quickly rambling on about. "I didn't mean to...I would never do that to you and Jenny. I'm really sorry."

Not that she cared deeply for Jenny, but she cared about Logan and wanted to respect Logan's feelings for the girl.

She was looking any where, but his lust-filled eyes and amazing, half-naked body. She was flushed from both arousal and embarrassment, and she was working the hem of the shirt she wore between her fingers. She wanted to die. She couldn't believe that she had allowed herself to forget reality and to live out her fantasy, if only for a moment.

She got up and escaped into the bathroom, even as Logan began to stutter out his protests to her retreat. He shot up and ran over to the door. He wasn't about to let this go...not again.

"Veronica?" When there was no answer, he tried again, "Ronnie, come on. Talk to me, okay? I swear you will feel much better, if you just talk to me for a minute."  
"Ugh," she groaned loudly. "I'll feel better AFTER I've died of embarrassment. Now, go away and let me regain some of my dignity."

She was completely beating herself up. She wondered how she'd let it go so far. And even though she knew that it was because she wanted it desperately, she also knew that Logan wanted it, too...only with someone else.

"Look, if you're not going to come out, we'll just have to talk through the door...which I REALLY do NOT want to do. Believe me, there is nothing to be embarrassed about and I guarantee that you will feel better after we've talked." He waited, hoping to hear the knob turn and see her peek her head out. When he was about to give up hope, she turned the knob and opened the door slowly, looking at the ground the entire time.

He grabbed her hand and tugged her to sit down on the bed with him. She finally chanced a look at him and was sent reeling by the boxer-clad vision of Logan. He wasn't built, but he was nicely toned with a tan that never seemed to fade. His hair was ruffled from the sleep and concern had taken the place of the look of lust that she'd seen in his eyes moments earlier.

"Look," he said slowly as he considered how to phrase what he wanted to say, and still trying to calm his body's reaction to her. She knew that his next words would unintentionally break her heart and she winced inside.

"Look," he was more determined and continued resolutely. "I love you."

"I - I love you, too, Logan." His mind was screaming. They had finally pronounced their love to each other and could be together with no more interruptions or misunderstandings.

After a brief pause, she continued, "I am so glad that you are back in my life and that we are friends again. I don't want to ruin that or for things to be weird between us."

"Oh, geez!" Logan was exasperated. 'Can't anything ever be easy for us?'

"Well, I know it's awkward, believe me, I know. Let's just forget this and never speak about it again, okay?"

"N-No!" Logan sputtered out the word.

"What?" Veronica was in disbelief. After everything they'd been through, she didn't think that he would take this so harshly. "I'm sorry, Logan. I said I was sorry. It will never happen again..."

"Shut up!" He didn't mean to yell at her and he wasn't angry. He just needed her to stop talking long enough to let him fix everything.

The shock written across her face made him flinch. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, but I really need you to stop talking and let me speak. Can you do that?"  
She nodded her head slowly. Logan could tell by the look on her face that she was nervous about what he was going to say.

"I love you." Her brow furrowed. He had just told her that. "I am in love with you."

He could see the confusion and disbelief in her eyes.

"No. What about Jenny?" She stated logically. She wasn't sure if he was trying to make her feel better, but it wasn't working. She just wanted to be very clear about where they stood and him trying to ease the rejection by telling her that he was in love with her, was not helping.

"Jenny doesn't mean anything to me...really. The only reason I asked Jenny to spend time with me was because I wanted you to see me with her."

"You were trying to hurt me?" Veronica sounded hurt and was starting to have visions of a very 'Carrie-like' prom float through her head.

"No. Not at all. I saw you. The other day with Duncan. I saw you two kiss and I thought you'd gotten back together. I figured that you didn't want to throw it in my face and make some big statement at school, so you left in separate directions."

"I knew that if you thought I had someone else in my life, it would make it easier for you to tell me about you and Duncan. It wasn't until yesterday morning, when I was looking for you, that Duncan told me you had turned him down."

"So...you're not dating Jenny? You don't want to be with her?" It was taking her some time to understand that he was truly hers.

"No, I'm not dating her and I don't want to. Yes, she came over, but only because I wanted to make things easier for you."

"Nothing has changed, Veronica. My feelings for you are exactly the same. With the exceptions that, I am totally sure of my feelings for you, I love you and I absolutely do NOT want to wait until things settle down to figure out what to do about us. I want you Veronica, that hasn't changed one bit. I'm just not willing to waste anymore of the short time we have together."

"We learned first, with Lilly, and now with your kidnaping. Nothing is guaranteed for us and I wanted to tell you all of this last night, but you were exhausted and passed out on me before I could. Which, again, I fully understand your exhaustion after a day like yesterday." He watched her throughout his speech as she realized that he was not with anyone and that he desired no one, but her. Her smile slowly grew and grew until she was grinning at him goofily.

"Logan, are you sure about this?" She had a second of uncertainty, thinking he was going to start laughing and say, 'Just kidding,' at any moment.

"Yes, I'm sure. I have been for a few days, but I didn't want to scare you off. So, the real question is, how do you feel? Have things changed for you with everything you've been through?" He had figured out that she loved him, but she had been through a lot in the last 36 hours. Between the 'Jenny' incident, as he was choosing to refer to it, and Troy. Her emotions had been all over the place.

"I never thought I'd experience something as difficult as Lilly's death." She spoke softly as Lilly's name passed through her lips. "This last couple of weeks, though, have almost made that seem like a walk in the park."

"Logan, you have been my anchor in the storm and I would not have survived it without you. Thank you so much for that. It has only served to strengthen my love for you. In fact, I told you that I loved you the other night while you were sleeping. I was afraid of scaring you and jumping into 'love' so quickly after rekindling our friendship, but I don't want to be away from you...ever. I don't want to wait, either."

"Well, it's about damn time, Sugarpuss! Come here and give Logan some lovin'." He waggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed, swatting him on the arm as he enveloped her in a tight hug.

At the sensation of his skin on hers, she stopped suddenly.

"So...that," she pointed to the center of the bed they were sitting on, "was okay?"

"Are...you...kidding...me? Anytime you want to have a little replay of that...you just consider me a willing participant. Anytime, my love, anytime." He said the last part seriously.

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A/N: Ok, so if anyone wants to give me a good guideline as to what constitutes a T or M rating, that'd be great. I know that I was thinking I would be moving this story to M and maybe I should have done it this chapter? If you'd give me some ideas that would be great!!! Thanks!!


	30. Chapter 30

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 30

A/N: Okay, here's the deal. I said that I would reply to all of your reviews today...I still will...by midnight my time. :-). I am going on a day trip tomorrow to the ocean with my girlfriend and our 7 kids between ages 2 - 6. Anyway, I don't know when I will be around and cannot promise to post a chapter tomorrow. Therefore, my plan, is to submit another chapter before going to bed tonight.

A/N2: **I will be moving this to a rating of M tomorrow. I wanted to give you a chance to see this so you would know where to find it.** The story is already written so I'm not going to be adding or subtracting any sexual situation, but with the help from the reviews, I think it's time to rate it an M. Thank you so much.

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Keith left the hotel extra early that morning so he could be at the police station first thing. He'd only gotten about four hours of sleep, but he didn't mind. He would do whatever it took to make sure that Troy got back to Neptune securely. He'd called from the police station to check in with Logan and Veronica. He let them know when he'd be leaving with Troy so that they could get a head start. None of them wanted Veronica and Troy accidentally crossing paths on their way back to Neptune.

"Well, your dad must have some sort of hormone-related sixth sense 'cause I was going to suggest..." he trailed off as he waggled his eyebrows at her and jerked his head toward the bed.

She smacked him on the arm and laughed loudly.

"Ow, what?" He rubbed the offended area.

"Perv." She smiled playfully at him.

"It's not my fault!"

"Oh really. And just whose fault is it?" She had her hands on her hips and was looking at him expectantly.

"Well, no man should have to endure the treatment that I've had to for the last two weeks. Being with you every day, holding you, sharing a bed with you, seeing you in a towel! Any of this ringing a bell? And if that wasn't bad enough..." He looked at her pointedly.

"What?" She looked down at the shirt she was wearing that was obviously huge on her and covered her every curve. He couldn't be talking about that shirt.

"Do you have any idea of how much self-control it takes for a teenage boy to see the girl he loves in sexy lingerie? Or to see said girl dressed in his shirt, especially knowing that there is not a stitch of clothing underneath? Or to have her positioned on top of you, kissing you like you were the only two people in the world." His eyes were beginning to darken and Veronica knew that the tide was changing from playful to something more serious.

She blushed at the thought that she was, in fact, nude under the shirt and realized just how close they'd been that morning in bed. She blushed fiercely as a small smile fell across her lips.

"But, I don't want to have to explain to your dad why we showed up in Neptune hours after him when we were supposed to leave before him. As much as it pains me to say, I think that you'd better go get cleaned up and dressed so we can hit the road." He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

Veronica relaxed into him and let out a contented sigh. She knew he was right, but she didn't want to move from her place at Logan's side.

"I told you that you'd feel better once we'd talked." She could hear the smirk in his voice and she pulled back to look up at him.

"Why were you so sure that I'd feel better after our talk? How did you know that I loved you back?"

"Well, I had a good idea, but wasn't positive." He told her about Duncan's admission that Veronica was in love with someone else and about finding his shirt under her pillow. "I wasn't sure if you'd forgive me for Jenny or if you'd want to be with anyone after Troy."

Veronica had so many emotions rolling around in her head. She was embarrassed at being 'caught' with his shirt and glad that she hadn't been there to have to explain stealing it.

She was also filled with love and sorrow and guilt at what he must have gone through when she was missing. If it was half of what she would have felt had the situation been reversed, then she knew it had been excruciating. The description of him tearing through her room like mad proved to support her line of reasoning.

"You should have been scared when you found your shirt." She said seriously. Then she continued in a quiet and calm voice. "Good thing you didn't find the rest of my collection."

"That's NOT funny, Veronica." He was feigning light-hearted, but she could tell that he really wasn't ready for obsession-based humor.

"I'm sorry, Logan. I was just trying to make a joke." She felt horrible.

"I know, Ronnie. You just, you didn't see that room. Just thinking about it makes me want to beat the crap out of him. I just don't even want to think about him anymore. You're dad's got him and you are safe and we're together. This is what I want to focus on, not him."

"That sounds good to me, too." She leaned in and placed a quick peck on his cheek, then grabbed her bag and walked to the bathroom.

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They had been driving for an hour and had spent much of it in comfortable silence. Both of them were caught up in their own thoughts.

Veronica wondered what it would be like when they went back to school. How people would react when the truth about Troy came out and when they found out about her and Logan.

Logan's thoughts drifted to the night before. She had asked him to leave so that she could talk to her father alone about why Troy had gotten so upset with her. It was eating him up inside that it might have something to do with him.

The first time she'd been attacked by Troy, it was because he was set off by rumors about Logan and Veronica. Logan couldn't stand thinking that she'd been hurt again, because of something to do with him.

"Veronica?"

"Hmmm?" She turned her attention to him.

"I need to ask you about something." He waited for her reply. She just continued to look at him expectantly, her eyebrows knitting in concern.

"It's about yesterday with Troy." Logan proceeded slowly. He didn't know how she was going to take his line of questioning, but he couldn't leave it alone.

"Well, about what you told your dad when I was out of the room. Why did you want me to leave? Did something happen that you didn't want to tell me about? Did he do something else to you?"

Veronica sighed and looked away from him. She worried her bottom lip for a minute before looking back at him. Luckily, he was still driving so he couldn't stare at her with his normal intensity.

The reason she had not wanted Logan to hear what she was saying was mainly because she thought, at the time, that he liked Jenny. She didn't want him to know that she was fantasizing about him. Now that she knew the truth and they were together; she didn't mind, for the most part, telling him about it. She was still a little embarrassed. These were her deepest thoughts at a time when she was at her most raw. It was a very vulnerable position for her.

She took a deep breath and opened and closed her mouth several times before snapping it shut again. She blushed just thinking about talking to him about it. She trusted Logan, now more than ever. She knew that he wouldn't use the information against her like he would have just weeks earlier. It was still difficult for her to open up so much. It had been a long time since she'd been so open with anyone, and yet, the last three weeks with Logan had been a constant exercise in doing just that.

"It's stupid really. You have to promise not to laugh at me, okay?" She knew he would treat the situation discreetly, but it was a disclaimer you always use when you're about to bear your soul.

"O-kay. I promise." Logan spoke slowly, unsure of what she could possible say that would make him want to laugh. He didn't find too much humor in the details of her kidnapping at all. So he waited patiently while he watched her internal battle between vulnerability and strength, fear and resolve.

"Well, it started earlier in the day. The closer and closer we got to getting married, the more and more sick and afraid I was feeling. I knew that I wasn't in a position to escape at that point, but I was hoping that if I went along with Troy, I would get the chance. That I would earn enough of his trust for him to leave me alone long enough to figure something out." She looked at Logan to see if he was following her.  
"That makes sense. Sounds like you were really trying to keep a level head in horrible circumstances. Your dad told you that you were right to go along with Troy." He nodded as he spoke. He knew that she was having trouble talking about it, and he wanted to encourage her as much as possible.

"Well, throughout the day, everything Troy did was so sweet and romantic and thoughtful and planned out. I started to imagine myself in the situation with someone else. I figured that if I had been there with someone that I really DID love, that I would've been really happy. It would have been a wonderful day, if it weren't for the whole being kidnapped by Troy thing." She chuckled and shrugged.

Logan's eyes widened. "Yeah, I don't know why that would put a damper on things," he said sarcastically. The truth was that this was the third time he'd listened to her talk about how sweet and thoughtful Troy had been, and it was driving him crazy. It was a sick game that Troy had been playing in his mind and Logan wasn't sure that Veronica fully understood that. He and Keith had kept a lot of the details of Troy's obsession from Veronica. They had told her only enough to let her know that it was serious and that she needed to be cooperative when they took steps to protect her.

It's not that he thought she was with Troy willingly or having fun with him at all. He just thought that her seeing Troy's actions as caring and loving was skewed. It was a sickness, an evil sickness and he didn't want Veronica sucked into Troy's fantasies.

"Yeah, weird, huh?" Veronica's words brought his attention back to her.

"Anyway, after we passed the border and no one stopped us and then when no one ran in and stopped the wedding, I knew I was on my own. While I was getting ready for...to go into the bedroom with Troy, I was so scared. I was trying to figure out what to do. Should I fight him off and try to escape or should I just go along with what he wanted and bide my time for a better opportunity. I tried everything I could to stall him until I realized that there was no way of putting it off any longer.

Then, I had an idea. It was just a continuation of how I'd gotten through the beginning of the day. I figured that if I imagined myself with someone else, I could let myself be with him. I had to try to convince myself that I wasn't giving my first sexual experience, that I remembered, to Troy." She looked at Logan, hoping that he was filling in the blanks and that she wouldn't have to spell it out for him.

"O-kay, that's good thinking." Logan still had no idea what this had to do with Troy's demeanor changing so drastically.

"When I went into the bedroom, I just kept chanting the same thing over and over in my mind. I was trying to keep focused on the fantasy I'd created in my own head of spending the day with someone else, then giving myself to that person on our wedding night." He nodded for her to continue.

"When things started to...heat up, I got more and more nervous and I didn't know if I was going to be able to go through with it. So, I was screaming in my head and I must have said something aloud because the next thing I knew he stopped everything. He asked me what I'd said and when I tried to cover, he knew I was lying because he had heard me. He was talking in the same low voice he used before he attacked me last week. I knew it was going to be ugly, so I prepared to fight back." She hadn't said one word about it being 'Logan' that she was chanting. She was hoping he'd put two and two together.

He pulled the car over and she got nervous. When he turned to her, his brow was furrowed and he was looking at her like he was trying to figure out something.

"Okay, so he got mad at something you said, right?" She nodded. "But, when your dad and I were coming through the house, we heard him yelling my name. Why would he be yelling about me?"

"Because..." She looked at him, pleading with her eyes for him to understand. All of the air left his lungs as the truth hit him like a brick.

"You...you were saying my name," he gasped. It wasn't a question. It was a statement, simple in words, but complex in meaning. He thought back over everything she'd told him and everything he'd heard her tell her father about the kidnapping. His mind was reeling.

His look turned into an intense stare. "You were, weren't you?" He knew it was true, but wanted her to give him confirmation.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he upset, scared about her admission? She didn't want him to think that she was planning out their wedding just yet.

She looked into her lap and nodded slightly. She closed her eyes and tried to explain herself.

"Look, I, I don't know what to say. I know it's weird and seems a little extreme. I'm not planning our nuptials, just so you know. I just needed something good to get through that day and what I thought might last days." She was speaking quietly, embarrassed by her need to hang onto such a fantasy and afraid of his reaction.

"You're not?" He said.

"What? I'm not what?" She had no idea of what he was talking about.

"You're not planning our nuptials? I'm disappointed, you know. I was thinking a Spring wedding would be nice." A slow smile spread across his face and he grabbed her hands, letting her know that everything was okay. She was happy for his joking. It was nice release of the pressure she'd been feeling.

"Well, we'll have to see about the Spring thing. Dad may want me to wait until I'm 18." They laughed.

"How weird would it be to be married in high school." Veronica said dramatically. Logan rubbed his thumb over her hand and ran over her wedding ring. Veronica felt it move on her hand and she looked down at it. Her face fell.

"Pretty weird..." She added. Logan could tell he'd lost her and her mind was a million miles away.  
"Hey, I don't know what kind of a guy you think I am..." She looked at him, unsure of what was coming. "But, I don't let my fiancé wear other guy's rings."

"Why don't we remedy that little problem," he added as he gently wrapped his fingers around her ring and slipped it off.

Veronica let him take the ring and watched as he bent down and kissed each of her fingers starting with her ring finger.

"So, I think there is something else we need to do," he said as he kissed up her arm. "We need to start..." he reached her neck and brushed her hair back as he continued to place kisses across her skin. "Replacing some of those," he bit gently on her ear and was whispering softly, igniting a ravenous fire within her. "Fantasies of yours...with reality."

Logan grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She moaned, which only spurred him on further. He pulled her toward him so that their upper torsos were as close as they could be, separated only by the clothes they were wearing.

When they separated, both of them were panting and their eyes were filled with a combination of love and lust.

Logan put his forehead on hers and whispered, "I love you, Ronnie. We're finally together, and I don't plan on letting you go."

"Good," she smiled. "Cause I don't want to go anywhere. I love you so much, Logan. It's scary that I feel like this after just a couple of weeks. I don't understand it. I never thought I'd fall in love like this. After Duncan and Lilly, I just figured I wasn't the type."

"Well, you just needed some real lovin'. Some Logan lovin'." They cracked up.

"Yeah, way to ruin the moment, you ass."

"Hey, now! I take great pride in my God-given talents. Which, by the way...being an ass...only one of my many talents." He waggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

"Yeah, I've heard. Discretion...not one of Lilly's talents." She giggled as he turned beet red.

Of all the stories that Veronica must've known about him because of Lilly. Normally he would have been proud of his many escapades. With Veronica, though, he wanted everything to be fresh and new, like his feelings for her were.

He'd loved Lilly, but he really felt like he'd wasted years between dating Lilly and hating Veronica. He wished that he would have just asked Veronica out when he first met her. Of course, there's no telling that he would have really appreciated her then, but in his dreams he did.

"We'd better get going again. I don't want to be pulled over on the side of the road, making out, when your dad and Troy drive through. We're going to have to stop getting into these positions when we don't have very much time."

"Yeah." She just smiled, knowing that she wanted to be alone with him as much as he did her. She wasn't sure what would happen when they finally had the chance to be alone without any interruptions, but she sure wanted to find out.

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	31. Chapter 31

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 31

A/N: We're going to take a little breather for a while...within the story. By the way, "indifferent" and "Sleeping Beauty" don't belong to me.

A/N2: Yes, I know what I said about posting this last night...but I actually passed out about 10 minutes before I was ready. ...SORRY!!!!

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Logan and Veronica were exhausted as they rolled into Neptune. They were happy that it was Friday and they'd have a full weekend to recover before heading back to school and facing the vultures.

Keith had called them during the trip to let them know that everything was going smoothly and he would call them later to give them another update. He wanted them to stay at Logan's house for at least one more night as he wasn't sure when he would have the chance to get away from the Sheriff's Department. He had also mentioned to Logan that the apartment had still not been cleared of any surveillance equipment that Troy may have planted there.

The truth was that Keith wasn't real sure he wanted Veronica to go back to the apartment ever. It was obvious that Troy hadn't set up the equipment and he had probably used a professional. It could be tough finding all of the hiding places and Keith didn't really want to take the chance.

As a former law enforcement officer, Keith knew the possibility of Troy getting out of jail on a technicality or with a light sentence was better than he'd like. The good thing about the kidnapping, at least, was that Troy had gone out of California. Once he left the state, it became a federal issue. His case would be brought to trial in a federal court of law. Keith had a little more confidence in the legal system at the federal level, but there were still no guarantees.

He dialed another number after he ended his call with Veronica and Logan.

"Hello?"

"Aaron, hi, it's Keith Mars."

"Oh, hi Keith. Did you find Veronica?" Logan's parents had been very concerned when they'd gotten a call from Logan on his way to Mexico.

"Yes, thank heavens! She's alright and we're all headed back to Neptune now. Her and Logan are ahead of me by about an hour. I'm bringing Troy back in my car."

"That's great." Aaron was genuinely happy for Veronica's safe return.

"Yeah, look, I hate to bother you. You've done so much for us already, but I had another favor to ask of you." Keith really hated this. He was a prideful man, in a good way, and had spent the last year being forced to suck up a lot of that pride. That pride is also what had kept him going and made him stay in Neptune and start Mars' Investigations.  
Unfortunately, at that moment, Keith had to ask an additional favor of one of the wealthy Neptunite's who had not supported him when he was recalled from office. He had no choice, it was either pride or his daughter's safety and well-being. There wasn't even a contest.

"No problem, Keith. What's going on?"

"Well, I really hate to ask, but Troy had surveillance equipment installed in our apartment. I haven't even gotten a chance to look for it yet, but I'd rather Veronica not go back there. I don't want to leave her vulnerable to that, if I can help it. I'd like to find another place for us to live, but it's going to take a little bit. Is there any way that we could impose on you and stay at your house for a little while longer? I can pay you rent, but if it's a problem, we can just stay in a hotel or something..." Keith was cut off by Aaron's immediate and strong protest.

"Absolutely not, Keith. You and Veronica are more than welcome to stay as long as you need. And, guests don't pay rent in my home. I completely understand where you are coming from, Keith. I can't even imagine what I would do if this had happened to Trina. Besides, we won't even be back in the States for another week or so."

"Aaron, I really appreciate that. I really think that this will help Veronica feel secure, too. Although she doesn't know about the apartment, she feels really safe with Logan. I don't know what you did, Aaron, but you've sure raised a boy who knows how to protect women. He's done so much for Veronica...and me. I've seen a great deal of maturity in him, I'm sure you're very proud of him." Keith really wanted Aaron to know how great of a man Logan was turning into. He didn't know much about their relationship. He had an idea that they probably didn't have much of one, if the amount of time Aaron spent away from the house was any indication.

"Well, thank you. He's something, isn't he?" Aaron was astonished and a little confused by the man's words. He'd spent so much time trying to toughen and mature Logan because he was always making Aaron look bad in front of the press and other influential people. Of course, he would get compliments on his family by other wealthy friends and colleagues, but never by a "salt-of-the-earth-type" like Keith Mars. That down-to-earth, hard-working type didn't usually appreciate his son.

"Yeah, he's great. I couldn't be happier that he and Veronica have reconnected. Well, anyway, I won't take up any more of your time. Thank you, again, Aaron. Tell Lynn I said hello."

"Will do. We'll see you when we get back into town." They disconnected their call and Keith got back into the car with Troy.

"Have a good rest, Troy?" He looked at the boy. As a father, there were so many things that he wanted to do to this kid. He knew, though, that it wasn't time for that. Let the justice system have a chance, then Keith would take care of things.

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When they arrived at Logan's house, he looked over to see Veronica passed out cold.. Who could blame her, really? After the last couple of days, heck the last couple of weeks she'd had, he'd be surprised if she woke up before Monday.  
He decided he'd let her sleep while he unloaded the car. He set everything down in the foyer, figuring they could deal with it later, after they had rested. It's not like they had a bunch of stuff packed. Neither had really planned for a trip to Mexico. It pretty much consisted of the extra clothes Logan had in his car, her school bag and a few toiletries that Keith had put in the bag with Veronica's clothes.

Logan turned to head back out to the car, but stopped when he saw something sticking out of Veronica's bag. He pulled it out and just stared at it. A rage, that he had come to know quite well since Troy's first attack on Veronica, was building within him as he studied the marriage certificate in his hands. He was about to punch a wall when his attention was drawn to her signature.

'Veronica E. Mars. Huh.' He remembered the way Keith had questioned Veronica about it. Logan could tell that Keith was proud of his daughter for leaving a little clue to the illegitimacy of the document, but there had been something else in his voice. Logan set it on the coffee table so he could remember to ask her about it.

When he got to the car and she was still sleeping soundly, he just carried her into the house. He laid her down on the couch while he ordered some take out and sat down to relax in front of the tv. He told himself that it was because her room was still trashed, but he knew that he just didn't want to be that far away from her.

The television was on, but Logan wasn't watching it. He was watching Veronica. The soft, even breaths she took in her sleep and the mumbling that would escape her lips every little bit were intoxicating. He forced himself to blink. Watching her reminded him of watching those screen savers where you feel like you are in a trance, being completely sucked in by what is on the monitor. You are powerless to look away. That's what looking at Veronica Mars was for Logan.

Looking at her so relaxed and young looking, flashes of her over the years sped through his mind. He felt so happy to have such a long history with her. Even though it had not all been good history, he was glad to have had it. He had gotten to see more of Veronica Mars than most people.

Her current best friend, Wallace, had only known her in her bad-ass, P.I. mode. Her previous best friend, Lilly, had only gotten to know her in her cotton-candy pink mode. Although, Lilly had always said that she knew there was so much more to Veronica than that, she'd never seen it in action.

Keith had seen both sides, but she'd protected him from the torture she'd gone through at school. The only other person, Duncan, who was close enough to her to really know her, had checked out shortly after Lilly's death. Although, Logan knew that Duncan had paid a little more attention to Veronica than most people thought, he had still distanced himself from her.

Even when Logan and Veronica were at their worst, they were still always in each other's faces, showing themselves to each other. Whether snide remarks, prank calls, crowbars to headlights, it didn't matter. Logan had continued to keep his finger on the pulse of Veronica Mars. Likewise, she had continued to be in his business. From credit card fraud and straying girlfriends, to bongs and her own version of biting remarks, she had never kept herself far from Logan.  
When the food arrived, Logan brought it into the living room and sat it on the coffee table while he retrieved some silverware from the kitchen. He was hoping that the smell would wake her, but it didn't. He bent down close to her ear and softly whispered to her, "Ronnie. There's food, if you're hungry."

She grunted a little and shifted her body weight. Logan rubbed her back and she let out a soft hum.

"Man, you're beautiful. No wonder I've never been able to keep my eyes off of you for long. It would have been much easier this last year had I been indifferent to you." With her eyes still closed, she let out a contented sigh and a small smile formed on her lips.

"Veronica, I love you. Don't you leave me." He kissed her forehead as his eyes misted up. He was emotionally and physically exhausted after worrying about her so much. He just couldn't contain the warring emotions within him. There were more ways for her to leave him than just breaking up with him. He just wanted to protect and keep her for as long as possible.

"Logan." Veronica breathed out as she began to rouse from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes to see Logan's brown orbs staring back at her. She jumped a little.

"Geez, Logan. Scare a girl much?" Her tone wasn't biting and she was still pretty sleep-laden. When he only smiled at her, she returned the smile.

Her brow furrowed as she began to look around. "When did we get here. I don't remember being home."

"That, Sleeping Beauty, is because your Prince had yet to kiss you awake and I had to carry you inside."

"Really? Where is he?" She started to sit up, straightening her hair at the same time. "How do I look? I want to look presentable." She looked at him expectantly, false innocence plastered across her face.

"Funny, Mars, funny!" She just smirked at him.

"By the way, you always look presentable. Right now...you look hot. Nothing I like better than a girl who looks like she's fallen asleep after a long ride on...I mean with me." His smirk was the perfect combination of pride and playfulness. He'd had years of perfecting it.

"Yeah, I bet you do." She caught the double entendre and couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"What's this doing here?" Veronica was looking at the marriage certificate.

"Oh, I found that in your bag and wanted to remember to ask you about something."

"Shoot." Veronica was surprised that the reminder of her wedding hadn't hampered her mood. She figured it probably had something to do with being back in Neptune and back at Logan's. She felt comfortable in her own skin again.  
'Who would have thought being in Neptune and in Logan's house would bring me comfort and happiness? Certainly not me!' She smiled at her own thoughts.

"Well, I wanted to know what the middle initial 'E.' stands for in your name."

"There isn't an 'E. in my name." She was a little confused at first.

"Yeah, I know. That's what your dad said last night, but he seemed to think that there was importance to the initial. Why did you pick 'E'?" What he was asking finally dawned on her and she smiled.

"Well, aren't you just the inquisitive one, Echolls." She knew that she would tell him, she just wanted to toy with him first. She might be more nervous if she hadn't already told him about her wedding and sex fantasies about him while with Troy.

"Of course, I am, Miss Mars. I want to know everything there is that's rattling around in that head of yours." He was smiling, but completely serious. He leaned forward and kissed her head to make his point.

"Okay, Nosey Rosey." She giggled when he scrunched up his face in disgust. "I've pretty much already told you, if you had really been listening." She winked at him.

"What? I was listening."

"Yeah, anyway. I told you that I had my own fantasy about being with someone else..." she was interrupted by Logan.

(Cough Cough) "That was me." Cough Cough)

"...throughout the day with Troy." She continued talking as if she hadn't heard him and only glared at him in response. "Anyway, the signature was not only to help invalidate the marriage certificate, it was to continue my fantasy and keep SOMEONE close to me at my wedding." She rolled her eyes when she looked up and saw his expression change to one like the cat that ate the canary.

"Ooh, I like that story." Logan said as he rubbed his hands together conspiratorially. He couldn't help it. He was flying high just hearing the details that she had involved him in during her day of terror. The more he learned, the more he knew that she needed him as much as he needed her and it felt great. It felt great to know that someone as amazing as Veronica felt that way about him, that he was that important to her.

"Shut up." Veronica smacked his arm, but was jolted when Logan quickly grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him. His lips were on hers before she knew what was happening and his free arm wrapped tightly around her waist, molding her to him.

The kiss was extremely passionate and Logan's hunger for her spurred Veronica on. She knew what he was feeling because she felt it all too. The love, the lust and desire, the longing for something more, the security.  
They kiss ended, but they didn't separate; neither wanting to leave that moment. They just stayed there, foreheads touching, staring into each other's eyes, while their breaths mixed between them.

"I love you so much, Veronica. Those words seem so inadequate for what I'm truly feeling, but it's the best I've got."

"Well, good." She briefly touched her lips to his in a soft kiss. "Cause that's what I've got, too. I love you, too, Logan."

They separated enough for Veronica to snuggle into his chest, and for him to squeeze her tightly.

A moment later, Veronica lifted her head and gave a face to Logan. "What's that smell? Hmm? Smells like Italian."

"Well, when you're right, you're right, Ronnie." He smiled as he moved out of the way so she could reach the boxes. "Mental note...don't get between Ronnie and Italian food." They both chuckled.

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After they'd eaten and put the food away, Veronica decided to go take a shower. She wanted to wash away any part of Mexico that still remained on her. She wondered if she'd ever look at it the same. If she'd ever have a desire to vacation there. Her and Lilly had spoken many times about future trips that they would take to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, even TJ with the guys some day. That didn't sound fun at all anymore. She wondered if it ever would again. Of course, she would always remember one good thing about Mexico. That was where her and Logan finally became a couple.

'Maybe Mexico isn't so bad after all.' A slight smile played on her lips as she thought of the mornings events.

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Logan was putting their leftovers in the refrigerator when Keith walked into the house, announcing himself so he didn't scare anyone.

"I'm in here." Logan yelled back at the older man

"Ah, there you are. How's our girl doing?" Keith said as he looked around the living room for her.

"She's pretty good. I think the exhaustion has hit her. She fell asleep on the way home and I woke her up to eat. We just finished eating and now she's taking a shower. I ordered Italian and got extra, in case you showed up tonight. I didn't know what your schedule would be." Logan shrugged a little.

"Thank you, Logan. In fact, I think I will have some before I head back to the station." Keith moved toward the cabinets with the plates in them and then started making himself a plate.  
"You're going back this late in the day?"

"Yep. The FBI is coming in and we're going to have to hand over all of our information on Troy...which is going to take a while. They are just now being brought in on the case, and need to be briefed on every detail. Frankly, I'm surprised that Don is letting me be as involved as he is. I think he was pretty shocked at Troy's secret room.

"Yeah," Logan breathed out and Keith saw him pale slightly. He reached over and patted Logan on the back.

"She's okay, you know. Troy's in jail and can't get to her. Everything is gonna be fine." He knew how the young man felt. Keith tried to not let himself think about it too much. He was trying to stay in cop/P.I. mode, otherwise it would drive him crazy thinking of all of the things that could have happened to his daughter.

"Yeah, I know. I still hate leaving her alone, though. The fact that she is taking a shower by herself is killing me." He looked up to see the smile cross Keith's face. His words dawned on him and he mentally slapped himself.

"You know what I mean, Mr. Mars. I just don't like her being out of sight. The only times she's been out of my sight recently, bad things have happened."

"I know, son. It's probably going to take some time for either of us to be willing to 'release the prisoner'." Keith didn't notice the look Logan shot him when he called Logan 'son'.

Normally, Logan would have felt like the older man was patronizing him by calling him 'son.' It would be like, 'kid', 'champ', 'sport'. Logan wouldn't have appreciated any of them, but this was different. Although they hadn't spent a lot of time together, he had seen how much Keith cared for and loved Veronica. The way that they interacted and the way that they trusted each other said a lot for him in Logan's eyes. Logan was actually looking forward to spending time with Veronica and Keith when everything settled down.

"So, here's the deal, Logan. Your parents aren't home and I don't know when I'll be back. You and Veronica will be alone. I'm trusting you to treat her with the respect she deserves. Can you do that?" He wasn't being rude or harsh, but he knew how the kids felt about each other, whether they had admitted to it or not. He wanted to make himself perfectly clear what he expected from them in his absence.

"Yes, sir. I understand. I promise that I won't disappoint you. Thank you for trusting me with her." Logan was a little surprised by his own desire to not disappoint the elder Mars. He knew that it took a lot for Keith to leave his beautiful daughter in the hands of a teenaged boy, especially one with Logan's reputation. He wouldn't break the trust being placed in him.

"I know you won't. And, as for trusting you, you have shown more maturity in taking care of Veronica recently than anyone. You've been here when I couldn't be and I appreciate that. You are the reason I was able to go looking for Troy...not that it did a lot of good, but you know what I mean."  
"You're a good kid, Logan. I'm glad that you're here to watch after her. On that note, I'm going to grab my leftovers and hit the road." He patted Logan's back again as he walked toward his room. He was eating from his plate as he went. A few minutes later, Keith was on his way out.

"Tell Veronica to call me when she gets a minute, okay?" Keith was missing her terribly. He'd barely gotten to spend any time with her lately and most of his time was spent worrying about her.

"Will do, let him have it!" They smiled at each other and then Keith disappeared behind the door.

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REVIEWS FROM CH. 27 - 29:

shetlandlace: Thank you! I hope you are keeping cool, too. Looks like we're in the same boat. I'm so glad you could really feel ch. 28. Wow! Maybe RT should have taken some ideas from me. Haha. I know I would have treated Logan and Veronica better than he did! Thanks for the ratings info. Glad your enjoying it!

RBDFAN: I'm so glad you have recovered from the earlier chapters. Sounds like you are feeling at one with the calmness again. :-)

VMLoVeR87: Yea! LoVe! I know you don't believe it, but as I was writing it, I wanted them together as much as you guys did. And, I have to tell you...hero Logan, my all time fav. And, yes, V saying his name aloud. It just had to happen. There was no other way! Thanks so much!

09nerLoVer: I know you were ready to kill me when I left it where I did on ch. 27, but now...we're rockin' the LoVefest! See, I can do a lot of twisted things, but I'd never have V's marriage to T be legit. Thank you for your consistent and encouraging reviews. I'm glad you loved it. You know, I bet you have air conditioning. If I lived somewhere that was as consistently hot during the summer as you, I know I'd have it. We did get a window one for the main bedroom a couple of years ago when my last child was born. We wanted to make sure I'd have a place to take her if it got too hot. I guess the older two kids didn't rank an air conditioner. Heeheehee!

RedBrick: Well, from what I remember, things will settle down a bit...then there may be a few surprises still lurking around the corners. Thanks!! And, it's great to hear that you still see Veronica's character in my fic. I tried my best to keep as close to their canon character as possible. Tweaked them here and there, but tried anyway.

sarca666: THANK YOU! I appreciate the help on the rating and your comments about funny Logan. I have the worst time writing funny, sarcastic, snarky. It's nice to hear that you were able to see it.

SaraLyleth: See, now you are a girl after my own heart. I, too, am a fan of the 'he was just misguided...an abused socialite' way of looking at Logan. Because, after all, WE know he's perfect. Not our fault everyone else can't see it. lol. Anyway, so glad that ch. 29 struck a chord with you. And, I see how you are trying to get hints about the LoVe relationship...but, you'll just have to be a good girl and wait with everyone else. lol Oh, and BTW, you have no idea how much I wish JD could act out the stuff that I would write for him. Heeheehee!!

2honest4myowngood: Hope your hand-sized blister has gone down even more. It's painful just hearing about it. So glad you enjoyed LoVe's time together the morning after her rescue and I LOVE that I crept you out so much. I must be twisted because I totally get a kick out of it!!

copperboom321: See, now that'll teach you not to miss five of my chapters. Heeheehee! I'm glad you liked them and that I could give you some of the lovin' you were looking for.

storynerd89: Thank you. There are a long line of people I could thank for my ability to be able to reach deep down and access 'the crazy'. Unfortunately, I don't have to dig so far deep and, therefore, am not appreciative to 'those' people. Hahaha. I don't even know what I'm saying.

Jump In A Hole: Ok, so drama and suspense are on the back burner for now. I really hope I got the kiss to you before you exploded! And, yes, you may kiss me...because that's what I'd like to do everytime I read everyone's reviews. For now, just a big THANK YOU will have to do. (Besides, hello? Don't Logan Echolls and sexual tension just go together?)

Lorelei Candice Black: First, I'm so glad you took my review the way I intended it, which wasn't bad. Second, I'm so glad you enjoyed it...even if Logan's hero action wasn't what it could have been.

Mel7: Okay, so before we go any further, I just have to tell you...I am a Mel also. Thank you for your review. PLEASE don't feel self-conscious about your English. Hey, I can say Merci. Yeah, that's it!!! See. You on the other hand have nothing to be ashamed of..your English is great. Also, I regularly chat with an Italian girl. Whenever we don't understand each other, we just ask for clarification.

sofy2409: Well, now I'm offended. First you are declaring your love for me...then...nadda! You are just so fickle! Anyway, glad you liked their declaration and whoa, wouldn't have wanted Daddy Mars walking in on. Now that I know you have heart problems in the family, I'm glad things are settling down in the story. And, look at you, ye of little faith thinking I was going to make them wait until ch. 46 to get together. Silly girl!

Adja: I'm glad you liked it! Hope you keep interested as we settle things down just a bit for a little while. So, far the kids and I are doing okay in the heat. Today was supposed to be the worst of it, and luckily I was able to keep the inside of the house no higher than 85. Still hot, but not the 98.8 it was outside at one point. So, evil mastermind, why thank you. I'll take that as a compliment. Luckily, I am not writing this from personal experience...except the lingerie...that is all mine. That was what I wore on my wedding night...and yes, I worked up a sweat getting into AND out of it! Anyway, I've always had this uncanny ability to picture myself in horrible situations and to imagine these kinds of scenes. Maybe because my mom has worked in the Sherriff's Office for almost 20 years of my life and she always had true crime stories around. Those were the only books she read.

XXspuffster101XX: Hey, it only took them 29 chapters to get onto the same page...heeheehee! Thanks so much! And, see...it was before they even started their drive back to Neptune. Whew, you just don't have any faith in me. :-) Or, maybe you just know how much I love to torture people...Nah! BTW, Washington State girl, here. Hey, we rain for most of the year and the temperature is usually pretty mild, whether summer or winter...our only two seasons.

jennaml2709: Well, keep reading...still 18 chapters for some of the kissing you want. Glad you are enjoying it. And, you know, "love it" and "awesome" are absolutely accepted here.

hulahula551: Thank you, thank you! And, hey, didn't have to wait too long between these chapters, huh? See patience pays off.

LoVeElle: See, I really think that the ONLY reason she stopped was because she thought that Logan was imagining that he was with Jenny or just dreaming or whatever. Otherwise, don't think she would have been so strong. Who among us could've been? That is my question. I will tell you that when this story ends, I will be starting work on another one. I've already got so many ideas for it in my head and the one person in the world that gets sneak peeks of my chapters and whom I bounce ideas off of endlessly is very excited about it. She's been dying for me to finish up DL so I can move on to the new fic. Of course, she's already read through ch. 46 so that would make a little more sense. Oh, and I'm so glad that you have your priorities straight. You tell you're mom that she just has to wait. She needs to know her place, you know. :-)

Vmfan387: Welcome. I'm so happy you're enjoying it. Thank you so much. There will be some M later, though.

alecygoodness22: ah ha...you have asked all the right questions...I think you may like the answers. Yes, that's all the info I'm going to give you. Stop digging for hints. Heeheehee.

iloverogan07: Thank you...honestly when I was first writing this story, I wondered if I should stop it here...but, I have actually written through ch. 46 now and I'm pretty sure ch. 47 will be the last. So, you're on this roller coaster for a little bit longer. Thank you, again.

xosummerxo: ok, I will tell you that they will deal with school stuff a bit, they won't deal with trial stuff. It is too far in the future...beyond the scope of the fic. And, the question about the E will definitively be answered in the next ch.

IluvVM: thank you, thank you. I mean, really...what more can I say. You are way too kind. AND, have I told you how awesome you are?

LoVeBrucas: I don't think I've heard from you, so WELCOME and THANK YOU. I love that you are enjoying it. I'm updating a little late today, but you're getting 2 chapters within a few hours. Hopefully that makes up for it.

Sagebeth: heeheehee, ah someone's looking for a little smut. lol I'm so glad you like psycho Troy. I had gotten a bit attached to him, too. He really served my needs. And, on your question regarding fandoms...honestly, I probably wouldn't be any good anywhere else. I wrote this fic and have another planned for VM because I've got some sick obsession with the show. I don't really know anything as well as I know VM.

lagurlroks: I'm soooo glad you were able to get a good laugh out of it. See, I don't only want to scare the crap out of people and make them cry, I want them to laugh hard, too. I'm an equal-opportunity emotional abuser. BTW, not actually married to T.

EpicLoVeFan: heeheehee...I don't even know what to reply. You're whole review was great and I could say so much. I love that I've had you on a rollercoaster and that you've loved it. I love that you are laughing out loud to things that I've written and I love that you are sending out the cries for smut. Thanks a bunch!

AJzkitten69: You know, hearing that I'm awesome...so never goes out of style! Hahaha, no really. I'm so glad that you're enjoying it still and hope you continue to enjoy it as we down shift for a few chapters. AND, girl, I adore that you are still trying to convert your friends. I hope that the brain-washing sessions worked on her. If not, set her in front of the computer to some really good fan fic. If that doesn't work, contact me. Well, move to Phase II of "Convert all Friends and Enemies."

BrokenGravity23: Ok, so I do like to emotionally torture people...I don't like to give you nightmares. Hopefully chap. 29 and on have calmed that a bit. Thanks!!!

Literati and naley forever: Yes, invalid. Marriage to Troy bad...Logan lovin' good. lol.

Vmarsfan73: Welcome, Katie! So glad I can mix up your emotions in the blender that is my fic. I love hearing about it...so anytime you want to review, you are more than welcome. Thanks!!

musicismylife08: heeheehee! What? You don't like cliffhangers? And, yes, my husband has gotten used to the idea that he is always to blame. Our marriage has run much more smoothly since he figured it out.

BrokenGravity23: So glad to have given you chills. Any time I can serve you, just let me know! Heeheehee...hmmmm...c-c-cr-cree-cree-py! Yes! Said it!

LoVeNaleyJamLiterati23: Hope you're keeping up on the story and not that pesky bio homework! Anyway, thanks for the great review!

HannaBanana: Thank you for your review and Welcome! It's great to hear from you and I'm glad I was able to make Troy so convincingly psychotic.

Lydia Blue: I'm so glad you liked ch. 27 so much. Thank you for your review.

kylie144: So, did you ever fall off the edge of that seat of yours? So, glad to have twisted you in knots. Heeheehee! Thanks for the review.

beatlechicksteph: Yeah, unfortunately, the lingerie isn't as pretty when you look like you've been working out! Heeheehee.

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Answer: Exactly 29 short chapters. lol!!


	32. Chapter 32

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 32 

A/N: Ok...again. In an effort to get this chapter out, I'm foregoing the replies to the reviews. Although, I will say, that there were some good ones in there and I'm still going to respond to them...it'll just have to be postponed. Thanks a bunch!

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"Logan?"

"Yeah?" He turned to see Veronica coming into the living room with wet hair and dressed in a robe.

"Have you heard from my dad? It's been a while since he called." She was starting to get a little concerned. Her dad could take care of himself, but she was definitely learning to expect the unexpected with Troy.

"Yeah, you actually just missed him. He came home to grab a bite and I think he got a change of clothes. He was headed back because the FBI is on their way to get their investigation of Troy going. He doesn't think he'll be returning too soon, but said to have you give him a call. While we're at it, we need to make the rounds of phone calls to everyone else to make sure they know you're alright. I've been so focused on you that I forgot about them. They're going to kill us, me mainly." They laughed.

"Yeah, let's make the calls and then head to bed. Apparently I'm sleeping with you tonight."

"Huh?" Logan paled and his mind went directly to the conversation he'd had with Keith. He didn't know what he was going to do if she was offering herself on a silver platter to him. His throat was dry and his mind was racing.

"Relax, Logan. I'm just saying that I'm not going to be sleeping in my room, since some form of storm seemed to have swept through it." She winked at him.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. I was going to start cleaning it up when you were in the shower, but your dad came in and we were talking. I can go do it right now if you want." Not that he minded sleeping with her. He loved it, of course. He was just going to have to figure out a way to lower the sensitivity of his body when he laid next to her. That wasn't going to be easy.

He felt bad about her room. He knew that he destroyed it and had thrown everything, including all of her stuff around the room.

"No, I'm too tired tonight, I just want to make my calls and get to bed. Plus, I'd like you to call Duncan. I'm just not ready to deal with him yet. I know that we can and will be friends, I just want to give us both some more time."

"Okay, sounds good. Start dialing, your calls are going to take longer than mine." He smiled and chuckled at her.

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When Veronica had hung up from her last call and reassuring Weevil and Wallace that she was truly fine, she looked at Logan and blew out a breath.

"Well, how did it go?" He asked her, recognizing her exhaustion.

"Well, dad and I got a chance to catch up a little bit, but he didn't have much time. He did tell me, though, that we would be staying here for a little while. He already talked to your parents and got permission for us to stay. He said he'd talk to me about it later, when he had more time. Weevil did his tough-guy, 'I wasn't worried' routine. Wallace, on the other hand was a talker. He's going to come over tomorrow and hang out. Is that okay?" Logan nodded.

"Hey," he said as he enveloped her in a big hug. "My Casa is your casa, Baby." Veronica blanched at the pet name.

"Oh, Ronnie, I'm sorry. I know that Troy said that a lot. I didn't mean anything by it, it was just an accident.

"It's okay, I know. It just took me off-guard for a minute." She gave him a little smile and then leaned against him. Logan wrapped his arm around her and then pulled her into his lap.

"Ah! What are you doing, Logan?" She said as she laughed at her surprised reaction.

"I'm taking you to bed, O Sleepy One." He lifted her up and carried her into his room.

"Are you all ready for bed or do you need me to drop you off in the bathroom first?"

"Nope, all ready...bed please, if you would sir." She giggled. She loved that it was just them and not just physically. So much of the time they'd spent together had been about everyone else, that they hadn't had a chance to just be together. They were finally able to forget about Duncan and paternity issues, Troy and his issues, Jenny and Logan's father. It was just them and she felt more carefree than she had in such a long time. She could tell that he was feeling it to. His demeanor had changed from extremely protective to mostly playful and loving.

"I could get used to this." Veronica sighed.

"Yeah, me too." Logan kissed her nose and then laid her on the bed. He turned off the lights except for the one on his side of the bed and then he went into the bathroom to get ready.

When he undressed, he heard something metal clink across the bathroom floor. When he searched it, he saw something shiny in the corner of the bathroom. Bending down, he picked up the wedding ring Veronica had been wearing. Logan had forgotten that he put it in his shirt pocket when he took it off of Veronica earlier. He stared at it for a moment wondering what he should do with it. He really wanted to get rid of it, but it wasn't his place. Instead, he placed it in his drawer.  
When he came back out, he snuck over to the bed and slid in gently so he didn't wake Veronica.

"Hey," Veronica said as she snuggled up to him.

"Oh, I thought you'd be asleep. I was trying to be quiet."

"I almost was, but I wanted to wait for you. Good night, Logan. I love you." She was speaking softly and slow. Logan knew that she'd be out in no time.

"I love you, too, Ronnie. Good night."

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"Good morning." Veronica said as she entered the kitchen to the smell of a grand breakfast that Mrs. Navarro was preparing.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead." Logan kissed her and wrapped her in his arms.

He walked her over to the dining room table and pulled a chair out for her, motioning for her to sit. Then, he went back to the kitchen and returned with both of their plates.

When Veronica was sure that Mrs. Navarro couldn't hear them, she looked at Logan, trying to decide how to approach the next topic. She didn't want to play games with him, so she chose the direct method of communication.

"So...funny thing. I woke up last night or early this morning actually. Do you know what I found?" With his head shake, she continued, "I found a pillow, a rather large pillow laying between us. In fact the only part of us actually touching were where your arms were wrapped around me. What's going on?"

She wasn't used to simply asking for the information she wanted. Normally, Veronica would jump through a bunch of hoops, make up some real-sounding story, talk to family and friends and anything else she could do to get information without actually asking for it straight out.

Logan grinned shyly and ducked his head trying to hide the blush that threatened his face. Veronica knew that it had to be something since he was acting this way about being caught.

"Well, I wanted to be close to you last night, but I didn't want to be too close. It doesn't take much for me get excited around you, Ronnie. I just want to treat you the way you deserve and letting myself be turned on by you, is not a great idea." Veronica looked confused.

"Look, I just want to make sure that any decisions we make about how physical we get are made with clear heads...not while we're sleeping." He shrugged and hoped that she would understand that he was just trying to do the right thing with her. Because of his history, he knew it was a stretch to believe, but he hoped she would.

"Aw, look at my cute boyfriend. Are you trying to be mature and respectful? Nah, that CAN'T be it. You're Logan Echolls, Neptune High's resident man-slut." A smile played across her lips.

"Yes, look at me...wait, did you just call me cute?" He feigned offended.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"I think I deserve more than just cute. I should be hot, smokin', at the least devilishly handsome!"

"Well, I was referring to your attitude, not your likeness to a Greek-god. I was thinking cute, as in cute like a bunny. You're such a softy." She was trying to suppress the laugh that wanted to bubble out of her.

"You just think you're so funny, don't you?" He reached over and began tickling her.

She was laughing so hard that she actually fell out of her chair, taking Logan with her. They were on a heap on the floor, Logan still tickling her, when they heard Mrs. Navarro's voice.

"Mr. Fennell is here to see you." Veronica and Logan stopped and looked up to see Veronica's best friend's huge eyes staring back at them.

"Oh, uh, hey, Wallace."

"Hey, man, uh, what's going on?"

Veronica and Logan were speaking over each other as they clumsily tried to untangle their limbs and get up.

"Hey...guys. "What's uh, going on?" Wallace was trying to cover his shock at finding them like that.

"Not much, what's up with you?" Veronica said as she straightened her hair.

"Well, I was just coming to see my BFF after her latest brush with death." He looked pointedly at her. "Now come over here, girl."

Veronica smiled and flew into his arms. They hugged tightly and Wallace chuckled.

"It's good to see you girl." He whispered into her hair.

"You too." She pulled back and smiled at him.

Wallace watched the looks passing between his best friend and Logan as they all sat down at the table. He couldn't hold back any longer.

"So, what's going on with you two?" At their blank looks, he continued. "Come on, it's obvious. Just fess up."

"Well, okay. You're right, there is something going on, Wallace. I know it's a little hard to understand. We haven't spent very much time together and you've barely gotten to know Logan..." She was rambling on, nervous about her best friend's reaction when Wallace cut in on her.

"Hey, V, it's okay. I haven't been around much, yeah, but I can see what you mean to Logan. Anybody looking at the boy can figure that out."

Logan snorted.

"What?" Wallace and Veronica turned to Logan.

"Well Veronica needed to be convinced."

"Of course she did. She's spent so long being purposefully oblivious to what other people think of her. You probably had to smack her in the head with a two-by-four." He chuckled.

"Well, not quite. He did yell at me, though." Veronica pouted and stuck her bottom lip out.

"What?" Wallace's face scrunched up.

"I had to tell her to shut up because she kept interrupting me and wouldn't let me tell her how I felt." He shrugged.

"Yeah, that little blonde has a mouth on her, doesn't she?" Wallace knew how strong-willed his best friend could be.

"HEY!" Veronica was looking back and forth between the two most important men in her life, next to her dad. They all laughed.

"By the way, did you guys know that there is like an army of photographers outside the gates. I thought I was going to run a couple over on my way in." His demeanor had changed to one of concern.

"You had the chance to take some of those vultures out and you didn't? What were you thinking?" Logan piped up. 

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The three spent the day together just enjoying life. They swam, played video games and pigged out on junk food.

Keith joined them later in the day and brought pizza with him for dinner. They had a great dinner and then Wallace left, saying that he would see them at school on Monday. 

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"How ya doing, honey." Keith wrapped his arm around his daughter and squeezed.  
"Good. It's been awhile. How's everything going with the investigation?" Keith had called them earlier in the day to let him know that he'd be home for dinner. All of the people working the case decided to take Saturday night and Sunday off and meet back at the station on Monday. Keith had gotten about 4 hours of sleep sporadically throughout the night at the station. He and the rest of the investigators were looking forward to a little break.

"Well, there's a lot of information to get through, but we're working on it. The FBI followed up on Troy's ex-girlfriend. Apparently, he convinced her to run away with him. His plan was to use her as a way to buy some time, making everyone think that he was off somewhere with her. What actually happened is that she got to their meeting place and he never showed."

"The FBI has also seized Troy's computer and have a tech going through his files one by one. It'll probably be a long process, but it should provide additional evidence against him. No one wants to leave room for him to get out of this thing on a technicality. Everyone is working really hard on this, Veronica. I've been impressed by their doggedness."

"Ooh, I've got myself a team of professionals working FOR me. That's different, isn't it?" They chuckled.

"Yeah. You know, I've bought you some time, but you're going to have to go in and give your statement to the FBI. I got them to agree to wait until Monday after school. They're expecting you right after."

"Ok. I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid it forever. Thank you for buying me a little bit of time, though. I know you probably had to do some wheeling and dealing to get them to agree." She smiled softly at him.

"No problem. There's something else I need to talk to you about, Veronica."

"What's that?"

"Well, tomorrow I was thinking I'd start apartment hunting. Get us into a new place, new start. What do you think?" Keith was hoping that she'd be excited and wouldn't question the move. He didn't want tell her about the pictures that Troy had, most likely ones taken from inside the apartment.

"Really, why would you want to move? Can we even afford to move?"

"Don't worry about it, Veronica. It'll be fine. With the obsession Troy had with you, he probably knows that apartment inside and out anyway. I'd just like to get a fresh start for us in a place that he's not been in before. Okay?"

"Sure, Dad. So...am I coming on this little apartment hunting expedition of yours?"

"Well, if you'd like to, I'd love to have you come, both of you." He addressed Logan for the first time since he'd be talking to Veronica. "We could make a day out of it. I think we could all use some time to just focus on something besides Troy and this whole mess."

Veronica looked at Logan expectantly. "Sure, that sounds great." It felt great for Logan to be invited on such a Mars-oriented outing.

"Great! Now, I'm exhausted, I'm going to turn in early," Keith said. He had only gotten about 8 hours of sleep in the previous 60 hours.

"I made some calls today during breaks and set up some appointments with apartment managers. The first appointment is at 10 a.m, but we should be done around 3 o'clock or so. Be ready to leave here around 9:30 okay?" Keith was speaking as he walked toward the hall.

"Sure, Dad. No problem." Veronica tried to sound chipper. The truth was she felt bad. Not only was she still tired from her ordeal, but she saw the exhaustion her father wore. He had circles under his eyes and he was a little pale. When he walked out, his shoulders were slumped and his voice fairly monotone. He was completely out of energy and Veronica felt bad that she was the reason he had been working so tirelessly.

She sighed. She knew it couldn't be helped and that he would be okay. He may have looked harmless, but she'd never know anyone with the internal strength her father had. Nothing could keep him down. He was invincible in her eyes.

"Hey, you okay?" She had not noticed Logan walking up behind her, watching the contemplative look she gave her dad.

"Yeah, I'm just getting tired and my poor dad, he's so exhausted. He's done so much for me over the last couple of days. Here I am, carefree and enjoying life again, and he's barely sleeping in an effort to make sure that Troy will never hurt me again." She turned and looked at Logan.

"I'm so used to relying on myself and having my own strength, but you two have been my strength through this whole thing. Thank you so much. I love you, Logan. I don't want to think of what it would have been like if you hadn't been here." Her eyes had teared up and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Hey, there's no reason to thank us. I can't totally speak for your father, but I'm sure he probably feels like I do. We love you so much that if we could have done more for you, we would have and still would. I don't know exactly how we got here, Ronnie. It all seems like a blur now. All I know is that I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else."

Veronica took a deep breath and looked up into Logan's beautiful brown eyes. "I don't know how this happened either, but I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else, either."

"Good. Now why don't you go take a relaxing bath or a dip in the hot tub while I get started on cleaning up your room. Unfortunately, you're going to have to start sleeping in there now...since your dad is going to be around more. I don't think he'd be too excited about us sharing a bed." He shrugged playfully.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Him and his friends, Smith & Wesson, might take issue with it." They both laughed. "BUT, I am going with you. There's no reason I shouldn't help you clean it up or at least watch you clean it up. I'm going to have a long enough night away from you. I don't want to extend that by going our separate ways now."  
"Oh, you're so smart. How did I get lucky enough to find someone with looks and brains?" He said as he led her down the hall and to her room.

While they were in her room, Logan was talking about going to school on Monday and that they'd have to spend more time catching up on homework.

"At least we'll be together. That's going to make this all so much easier. I don't think I've ever been excited about getting going on my homework. Somehow, though, the thought of having you as a study partner just makes the whole thing seem so much more appealing." He smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her, but when she didn't laugh, his expression changed.

"Hey, what's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Logan looked at her with concern.

"Nothing...I was just thinking...you know, about school." She looked at him, hoping that he would understand what she was saying just through her look.

"And?" Veronica put her head down and tried to give Logan an explanation.

"And...I was thinking that maybe we shouldn't serve up the shock of all shocks with our relationship on Monday. Maybe we should just let people get used to the idea that we are no longer sworn enemies. We can work them into seeing us as friends. Then, after all of the media hype about this has died down and everyone is used to seeing us together, it will be easier." She hadn't looked back up at him.

Veronica didn't really want to hide their relationship. She knew how difficult this was going to be on Logan. Veronica was used to not having friends and having to ignore all of the things said about her. Plus, people would only see her as moving up in the world by dating Logan.

On the other hand, Logan would be pelted with questions about what he was doing with her and why. He was the king of Neptune High and Veronica didn't think that he would lose that, but he'd have to put up with all of the talk.

She knew him very well. She knew that he might not care so much about the things that were said about him. The things said about her, though, could keep him in detention for the rest of the school year, with as many fights as he'd get in to. She didn't want that for him. None of this was his doing, he was just cleaning up the mess. He really didn't deserve to go through any more because of Veronica and her issues.

"Look, I really thought that I'd never feel half of what I did for Lilly with anyone else. With you, though, I feel so much more...like I wasted my time with anyone who wasn't you." Logan didn't want to upset Veronica by speaking badly of Lilly. He really had loved her and would never speak ill of her. "Don't get me wrong, she was great and I'd love to have her back...but only as a friend."

"I've thought about this a lot. What I had with her was great, it really was, but it was nothing compared to what I have with you. I loved her, but I didn't feel like we were partners. You fill a gap that I never knew was there, you make me whole. I don't remember a time when I was as content as I am with you. I love you."

"The only thing I keep thinking is, 'wow, so this is what it feels like to truly love and care for someone who feels the same way about me. This is awesome, Ronnie. Not only do I not want to hide that, I don't actually think I can hide that from everyone. It's physically impossible for me to keep this inside." He was grinning excitedly like a little boy ready to tear into his first present on Christmas morning.

"Well," she sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall. "When you put it like that, I guess we can't hide it after we tell Duncan." She had slipped Duncan's name in, hoping that Logan wouldn't get upset.

"What?"

"Well, I've already hurt him so much by turning him down. I just don't want to add to that by him finding out about us along with everyone else. Plus, he's your best friend and I don't want him to feel ambushed." She figured that this would buy them a little bit of time. She loved Logan's devotion to her and his determination to face everyone no matter what. She really just wanted to protect him as much as possible.

"You're right." Veronica was a little surprised by his lack of argument. Then she watched him pull out his cell phone and press a button.

"Hey, DK. I need to talk to you about something. Are you going to be around tomorrow afternoon?

"Great, I'll call you when I'm sure about the time, but it shouldn't be too late...Alright, later." He closed his phone and looked at a shocked Veronica.

"Well, now that we're going to get that out of the way, Monday shouldn't be a problem."

"I guess so." Veronica knew there was nothing more to say. Logan had made up his mind and he wouldn't be deterred. She was a little nervous about facing Duncan, everyone at school and the media; and about giving her statement to the FBI. She knew, though, without a shadow of a doubt, that Logan would be there with her. She could feel his strength and felt like it fed into her.

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	33. Chapter 33

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 33

A/N: Like I said before, we are in a bit of a rest in the story. But, come on. They need a break after what they've been through. LoVe you all. Thanks!!! Tell me what you think.

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Sunday morning, they decided that Logan would drive his SUV to Mars Investigations, then get into the car with Veronica and her dad. That way, when they were finished looking at apartments, Keith could do some work at the office and Logan and Veronica could go to Duncan's.

"So, what are you kids going to do at Duncan's?" It had been a while since Veronica had hung out at the Kane mansion and Keith wondered if her rekindled friendship with Logan had something to do with it. He was a little surprised that Veronica was willing to go there after everything that had happened between her and Duncan and the Kane's and Mars'.

"Well, actually, we've got to tell Duncan that we're dating before we show up at school tomorrow and 'announce' ourselves." Veronica wasn't sure how her dad would take the news. This was the first time she'd actually come out and told him that they were dating.

"I am shocked!" Keith exclaimed loudly. The car grew quiet and Veronica couldn't exactly read the look on her dads face. It definitely wasn't one of shock.

"Was that sarcasm?" It was Logan who called him on it.

"Absolutely not. I am truly shocked that you two finally stopped dancing around the subject and got together." He chuckled.

"Laugh it up, funny man." Veronica scolded her father as Logan began to laugh loudly in the backseat.

"Yeah, and you're not much better," she shot at Logan. Then she rolled her eyes and let the laughter bubble out of her.

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The three of them arrived at the first apartment building and Veronica was confused. They'd pulled up in front of an apartment building that was nice. That's the only word that came to Veronica's mind. It wasn't something that an 09er would live it, it wasn't upper-level living, but it was nice. Not run down. One thing she was sure of, it was out of their league.

"Dad, why are we here?"

"What do you mean, why are we here? Remember, we're apartment hunting, honey? Did Troy hit you over the head, too?" Veronica was unamused.

"Dad, yes I remember that we are apartment hunting, but why are we HERE? At this apartment building?" She was really narrowed in on him. 'Why is he being so obstinate?"

"Well, Veronica, we're here to look at an apartment. Hence the apartment hunting." He said it as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"O-kay," she said real slowly. "Dad, we can't afford this place. I mean, look, it's got secured entry,"she said as she pointed out the intercom system and key pad located next to the door. "It even looks like the kind of place with a security guard. What's going on?" Keith could tell that she wasn't in the mood for any more of his vague answers. She was getting pretty worked up.

"Look, honey. I just figured that we needed something with security. You are alone when I'm off chasing bail jumpers. Even though it's not that often, it still leaves you too vulnerable for my taste."

"But, dad, how can we afford that? We can barely pay our bills as it is now." She was bewildered. They had truly been part of the struggling lower-class. It's not as if they had been faking it. If they'd been able to get themselves into a better lifestyle, they would have done it already.

"I know, honey. Here's the deal. I want us to be in a building with security. How we're going to pay for it is simple. First, Troy's parents actually offered a reward for Troy's SAFE return. They wrote me a check for $20,000." At Veronica's shocked expression, he continued. "I think they knew I was looking for him and just didn't want him to come back dead." They all laughed at that.

"Anyway, that check will go a long way toward paying the rent, plus I've decided to expand the territory that I go after bail jumpers. I've only been going after bail jumpers from California, but I'm going to expand that to the entire Southwest. Now, that means that I will be gone about 10 days out of the month instead of the four or five that we're used to. I know that it's a little bit more of a sacrifice for our time together, but it will help provide the additional income we need. Plus, I'll have the peace of mind of knowing that you are in a safer environment when I am gone. And, it looks like there's a new Sheriff in town," he looked back toward Logan. "I'm sure he won't let you get too lonely while I'm gone."

Veronica was astonished at how much thought he'd put into his plan. They'd barely been back in town for a couple of days and in that short time, she knew how busy he'd been with the investigation.

"Are you sure about this, Dad? Because, you know, I have Backup and my taser." It was an incredible sacrifice for her dad. He already worked really hard and now he would be on the go twice as much as he had been before.

"I'm sure. Hey, don't worry, the money from Troy's parents will keep us in good for a while. Let's just do this so that I feel better, okay?" He hated that she felt like she needed to worry about their money situation. She was a teenager, she shouldn't have to shoulder those responsibilities. Unfortunately, with the changes that had happened within their family and to their social status in the last year, they'd had to expand their roles. He'd had to rely on her more than he would have liked. She had taken on the role beautifully, but he still felt guilty for it.  
"Alright, then. Let's do this thing." Veronica conceded.

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They spent the day looking at apartments and Veronica thought that they were all great. They were all larger and more modern than the old apartment. They were obviously better maintained and they had security. A few of them even had a view of the ocean and they were all closer to school. She really couldn't complain.

"Well, I know my vote doesn't count, but the third place was definitely my favorite," Logan said with a cheeky grin.

"Grrr, definitely my least favorite! I hated her." Keith had a deep scowl on his face, while Veronica broke out in raucous laughter.

"You hated her or the apartment?" Logan was giggling through his words.

"What's the difference?" Keith grumbled.

Still laughing, Veronica answered him, "Well, one difference...is that the manager, not the apartment is the one who thought that the apartment was for Logan and I."

"Yeah, but the best part is when you told her, 'over my dead body.' The look on her face was hilarious. She was blind-sided." They all burst into laughter.

"But, dad, did you really have to start pointing out all of the places in the apartment that would work well for your gun safe? I think the lady thought you were crazy." Keith had to admit that it had been pretty funny.

The lady was actually thinking that his baby girl was going to be shacking up with her teenaged boyfriend. He wasn't kidding when he told her that it would happen over his dead body. He could laugh about it now, but it definitely didn't make the apartment she was offering any more appealing.

"Yeah, no offense, Logan. If my 17-year old daughter were shacking up with anyone, I'd want it to be you. Really, this is from my heart," he said as he clutched his chest dramatically. "In fact, I just love you so much, I think that I'll just walk right here, with you." Keith used the opportunity to butt between the kids and sling his arm over both of their shoulders.

"Yeah, I like this. Isn't it great that we are just so close?" He squeezed them to him and had a huge grin on his face.

After they had a good laugh, they agreed to think about the apartments and talk about it later. Keith wanted to get into a new place as soon as possible.

"We'll see you at home, Keith."  
"Sounds, good. Good luck with Duncan, you two." Veronica and Logan got into his SUV, while Keith continued into his office.

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Logan stopped the SUV in front of the Kane mansion. He looked over to Veronica, who was looking a little pale and staring at the house through the windshield. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just want this over with. I don't know how he's going to react. I would have been nervous even before his attempt to get back together with me." She was so nervous that her heart was beating rapidly and her palms were sweating.

"Hey," Logan put his hand on her chin and made her look at him. "No matter what happens in there, this is about you and me, okay? I'm still going to be here, with you. I love you, Ronnie. Although I'm not jumping with excitement about doing this or hurting Duncan, I am happy to be getting it done so that you and I are totally free to be with each other. No distractions, nothing hanging over our heads. Plus, this is a much better scenario than him finding out some other way, from someone else or in front of other people. At least this way, he doesn't feel like he's being put on the spot in front of the school."

"Yeah, you're right. I know you're right! I love you, too. Thank you for being here with me." Logan leaned over and gave her a small kiss, which quickly turned passionate. When the kiss ended, Veronica's heart was pounding in her chest, her breathing was labored and she was sure her body temperature had risen several degrees. This time, though, it wasn't out of nerves. It was the affect that Logan had on her. All of her concerns about Duncan melted away and she knew she was safe with Logan. No matter what was thrown at them, Logan was an amazing strength for her to take from.

In that regard, he actually reminded her a lot of her dad. They both had a hidden internal strength. Logan's had not been harnessed and he was not as good at controlling and directing that strength, but given the chance, he would learn.

Veronica smiled at him and sighed contentedly. "Wow, if that's what I get every time I admit you're right about something, then consider me eternally in the wrong." They both laughed, knowing that 95 percent of the time, she'd never admit to being wrong. This just happened to be one of those rare moments.

Logan squeezed her hand, "Wait there, okay?" He got out of the SUV and ran to her door. He opened it and held out his hand for her to take.

"Why thank you, kind Sir." She jested.

"Anything for my lady." He kissed her hand.

They walked up to the front door and rang the bell. When Duncan answered the door, he looked a little shocked, but relieved to see Veronica standing there. Logan had called him to let him know that she was okay, but it wasn't the same as seeing her in the flesh.

Duncan immediately rushed forward and engulfed Veronica in a bone-breaking hug. Her eyes got huge at his reaction. 'Boy, this is going to make things even more difficult.'

Logan didn't know what to do. He understood where Duncan was coming from. Veronica had given all of them a major scare. Having said that, he did not like Duncan holding her like that. He didn't want anyone holding her like that, let alone a guy who was in love with her.

"Uh, hey, Duncan." Logan tried to do anything to bring the attention onto himself and away from Veronica.

"Hey, Logan. What's going on you guys?" Duncan said as he pulled back. "I mean, not that it's not great to see you in one piece. Logan, you said that you had something to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, do you want to go into the house or talk right here, or what?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Let's go into the den." They proceeded into the den, where the housekeeper asked for their drink orders and then left to fill them.

"So?" Duncan looked at them expectantly.

"Well, Duncan. First of all, I just want to let you know what a great friend you've been to me for these last several years."

"O-kay. You're making me a little nervous. " Duncan didn't know where this conversation was going, but with an opening line like that, he wasn't expecting anything good.

"You know how I thought that you and Veronica had gotten back together and you told me that she was actually in love with someone else?"

"Yeah." Duncan drew it out a bit, still unsure of where things were headed. Although, it seemed to be centered around Veronica's dating life.

"Well, apparently I am that someone. And, the truth is, is that I love her too, man. I'm sorry to spring this on you. We didn't want to hurt you, but we wanted to tell you alone, before we make our appearance at school tomorrow." Logan and Veronica watched Duncan for a reaction.

When he said and did nothing, they began to get nervous.

"Duncan?" Veronica finally said.

"Hmm?" he said as he looked up at them with wide eyes and a dazed look on his face.

"Are you alright?" She'd not seen him like this...although it did seem to fit with his post-Lilly behavior change. He just seemed to glide along throughout the day. Nothing really fazed him.

"Wow," Duncan said in a monotone voice, and then said nothing.

"Wow?" Logan repeated when Duncan did not continue.  
"Uh, yeah." He was silent again for a moment and then took in a deep breath and looked into Veronica's eyes.

"You know, I've been thinking about what you said the other day about it being a long time and how you had to move on." He paused for a moment, still looking into Veronica's eyes, almost pleadingly. It was like he wanted her to deny it and take it all back.

"Yeah," Veronica urged him on softly and she saw the flash of disappointment that engulfed his features for a brief moment. Then, regaining his stoic expression once again, he continued his thought.

"I understand that now. I know it's been over a year since I broke up with you and I couldn't have expected you to just never move on. It doesn't even surprise me that you found someone. You're amazing and if it hadn't been for what happened after Lilly, I'm sure that you would have had guys lining up for you. Even though we're not together like I wanted, I am glad that you're happy. I'm a little surprised that the guy that actually did get in line for your affections was my best friend. You guys have hated each other more than anyone I've ever seen. I knew, though, that the tide was changing. First, with you two spending time together and trying to be 'friends', then with Logan being directly involved in the search for you, things were definitely off." He turned his attention toward Logan.

"Which reminds me, why didn't you say anything when I told you that she told me she was in love with someone else?" He wasn't angry, just curious.

"Well, actually, at the time, I was confused. Her and I weren't together then. We liked each other, but I thought that she had gotten back together with you and she thought that I was dating someone else. Things were messed up. Then, the day she went missing and you told me that you didn't get back together, it didn't completely register. I heard you say that she was in love with someone else, but it didn't hit me until later. I was just so worried about her and focused on finding her. Later, when I had a calm moment, I remembered what you said and figured out that she must have been talking about me." He wanted his friend to believe him. He hadn't purposefully kept anything from Duncan. He'd never hurt him intentionally.

"I wasn't trying to lie to you, I just didn't have time to process it all and then work things out with you at the time. I had one focus, which was finding Ronnie." He saw the surprise cross his friend's face when he used her nickname.

"Well, Veronica. I told you before that I'd like to be friends again, that I just needed a little bit of time to let all of this sink in. That's still the case. I love you both. You are two of the best friends I've ever had. Of course I'm going to understand what you see in each other and how you can love each other. It makes perfect sense to me." He sighed. "It doesn't make it any easier, though. I'm still going to need some time. Don't get upset if I'm not ready to hang out in the quad with you immediately, okay?"

They both nodded. He had rendered them speechless and they were left to simple gestures. He was taking the news much better than they'd thought, but his hurt was still evident.  
'Our DK, always the diplomat.' Logan thought as they got up to leave.

"I'll see you guys later. Oh...and Veronica?" She turned back around to look at him. "I'm so glad that you're okay. I was really worried. We all were. " He gave her a tight smile.

"I'm just sorry that we brought him into your life." His smile had disappeared.

"Thank you, Duncan. I'm glad to be home. And, don't worry. There is no way you could have known what Troy was capable of."

"Yeah, okay. Uh, one more thing, guys. You may want to use some cover-up on that hickey of hers, if you don't want her dad to kill Logan." He chuckled a little.

Veronica saw that Logan was about to correct Duncan and stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, you're right." She turned to Logan, who looked confused. "Remind me to do that before Dad gets home, okay?" Her smile communicated her desire for him to play along. He fell in step quickly.

"Ah, man. And you know how much pride I take in displaying my work." He snapped his fingers together. "Oh, well. See ya later, DK."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they had gotten to the Xterra and were out of earshot, Logan turned to Veronica. "What was that about? Why didn't you tell him that I didn't give you the hickey?" He wasn't angry, he was more worried about her.

"I just...it's private. I don't want people to know about the things that happened when I was with Troy. I'm sure they have good enough imaginations. They can just make up their own stories. I don't really want to give them more ammunition." She was speaking quietly and Logan could tell that it was really bothering her.

"Hey, none of this was your fault. Remember that, okay?" He wanted her to know that he didn't blame her and that if others did, it was just their pettiness.

"I know. I do. It's still just embarrassing and private. I don't want the details out there. All I need is people picturing me in the lingerie he dressed me in." Her face was slightly flushed.

"HEY! There is no way. I'm the only one who gets to picture you in anything like that. I'd have to kick their collective ass." He got the response that he was looking for when she started giggling.

"Of, course. Your mind would go there, my very own cave man." She caressed his face an leaned in for a kiss.

"Let's get out of here. I don't think Duncan seeing us make out in his driveway is really what he meant about taking some time to deal with all of this." He smirked.  
"Yeah, you're probably right. Take me home or lose me forever!" Veronica scolded.

"As you wish."

They drove home, holding hands and enjoying the freedom that they had. The most important people in their lives knew about them now. Her dad, Wallace and Duncan were the only ones that they had to be concerned about. They were excited about telling Lynn, knowing that she would welcome the relationship with open arms and they didn't really care what anyone else at school thought.

Things were looking up for them.

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**Disclaimer: "Take me home, or lose me forever," is from Top Gun and "As you wish," from The Princess Bride.**

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Qwoeity[peout. Served up on a silver platter...or a white background.

Oh, and as for the rest of the fic, here's a biggie. KKKKK WWWW BB PPP II A CCCC BB AAAAA. WOW! Massive spoiler, right there folks! I promise.

XoSethCohenxO: I'm so glad to hear from you and happy that you've enjoyed the story to this point. Okay, I'll try to answer all of your questions. We will see more Aaron before the fic is through, but I think it is only a chapter, maybe spread over two. There isn't a whole lot of time spent on him. Ah, yes...my next story. It will not be a sequel to DL, but it will be written similarly. Let me explain. I love S1 and I love much of the way the show was built. Like DL, the next one will begin at the start of their junior year in school, however will have a few major differences in it. I like to take what S1 did in canon and just twist those events. Thank you so much for your review and your interest in the story.

xosummerxo: I hope you were able to go back and read that he destroyed V's room at his house. Let me know. If it's not clear, then I may need to rewrite it a bit. Thanks!!!!

Lorelei Candice Black: Ah. I don't really know what to tell you...without giving away too much. Let me just say this...Keith will still have a big part in the story a few chapters from now. And, to answer your earlier question. We will see a bit more of Aaron, but he'll only appear in 1 or 2 chapters.

lagurlroks: Totally agree with everything you said. LoVe S1 fics and I love them revealing themselves to their classmates. And, fair warning...there will be another appearance by (whispering) Aaron.

LoVeElle: I can not tell you how many times I've had to ask my friend about things that happened in canon. There are some fanfics I've read so many times that it does start to get confusing!! And, look at you...so right about DK. I'm glad you enjoyed the fluff fest. It is difficult to write and the reviews really start to drop off when there isn't constant action and angst. When I wrote these couple of chapters, I just really felt like I had to immerse the characters in a bit of reality. You know, school, parents, friends, etc.

Oh, and thank you for asking. We had a great day at the beach. And, yes. I've never had a beta and I still don't, but I just happened to meet someone online who really liked the story and so I will bounce ideas off of her. She actually can't wait for me to finish up DL and move on to the new story, she's so excited about it. It's going to take a bit. I'm thinking a 6 wk break from posting anything. That way I will have a good start on the new story. Oh, and yes. I love when Logan tells Keith that about the V showering. I can totally see it happening.

XXspuffster101XX: Hey, I understood the whole SPF thing and I thought it was funny even before you corrected yourself. I'm glad you were able to enjoy the chapter and yes, yes, yes, to all of the Logan is: comments. :-) Well, I don't know if you'll like the outcome of the Troy situation or not. It's not bad, but not great either. Please don't drive up here...my children need their mama. Heeheehee. When all else fails, use the children.

Sagebeth: Thank you so much for your advice. I do love reading what you all have to say and most of you have been with me for most or all of the ride. I look forward to seeing how you'll react to the newest chapter and to continuing our dialogue. You are right, though. I don't think that people are so interested in my responses that they want me to hold off on posting the chapter. At least, as a reader...I know I'd like the ch. ASAP.

sarca666: ok, so I moved it into M for the purposes of Ch. 30 and other things that "might" be coming. Although, with the drop in reviews this time...I don't know if people don't like my chapter 31 or if some people just didn't follow it to M. I guess we'll see, huh:-)

alecygoodness22: Well, feedback is my crack...so I guess we're even!

RedBrick: Thank you so much. Please enjoy this little break in angst and action. It's like a flight attendant. "Please take and deep breath and get your heart rate back to its original speed." Heehee

SaraLyleth: Well, what can I say. I agreed with everything you said. That is the same reasoning I used when building those scenes.

Miss-Mars: Wow! You are a masochist, aren't you? Everyone else is begging for the torture to end, but no. Here you are wanting more. I'd be concerned, very concerned. :-)

VMLoVeR87: Thank you!!

LoVeBrucas: Thank you, thank you, thank you. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. The getting hooked on a story just to end up wondering if it will ever be finished or even updated. That is why I killed myself to get through this fic and why I'm going to wait until I have a big head start on my next fic prior to beginning to post it. Thanks again! BTW, not that I don't understand major real life issues. Our real life always comes first, but I started posting this fic and I made a commitment to myself and the readers to see it through in a timely manner.

Elektra Bauer: You were in the hospital? Did I know this? I hope everything is alright! Thank you for your commitment to the fic...although, you may want to think about how you're going to handle bathroom breaks over the next 2 weeks.

Mel7: Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing from you.

09nerLoVer: I'm glad that you see that bond forming. I was really working for that.

IluvVM: yes, there will be more drama...after a bit of a rest. Yes, there will be more Aaron, although he only appears in another one or maybe 2 chapters. Thanks!!

LoVeNaleyJamLiterati23: ok, this is ch. 33, there are 47 chapters total. So 2 weeks left of daily updates. You'll be back in time to get caught up and grab the ending. Have fun!

Jump In A Hole: I guess a thank you will do...if that's all you're willing to give up. :-) AND, THANK YOU!!! You, my dear, are FABULOUS! You know, I have a major crush for Logan, so any story I write, will not only include him, but feature him. I love V, too, but sometimes, she's just lucky to get to share scenes with him. How do you think it'd go over if I wrote a fic that consisted of just Logan and his thoughts, Logan shirtless, Logan swimming, Logan surfing, etc, etc. I'm sure I could get a good 30 or 40 chapters out of just Logan. Hahahaha

sofy2409: Don't worry. I won't tell your boyfriend about what you said! But, you know what. I love very romantic stuff, too. I just have never written it before. So, there are definitely some M scenes in this fic...it just really took a lot for me to get there. Don't worry, there will be more.

AJzkitten69: Yea! Another convert! I tried to convert my best friend...it didn't turn out as well. Therefore, I'm currently drugging her with mind-altering substances so that I can bend her to my will. Hmmmm. All in a day's work!

hulahula551: Yes! I'm glad you are seeing the father/son bond. I was really trying to build that.

Adja: oops! I think that Ryan Hansen is already married. You may want to check that out before you make too many plans. Thanks!!

copperboom321: Thank you so much. There is no bigger compliment than to say that my story really represents the real VM

RBDFAN: See, still allowing your heart a rest. Aren't I so thoughtful?

Literati and naley forever: Thank you. I'm glad you're sticking with me through the slower-paced chapters.


	34. Chapter 34

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 34

A/N: You wanted it, you got it!

A/N: It looks like a lot of people have been messed up with the M rating. They are having trouble finding the story. I'm not sure what to do about it, though. I can't put it back to T to remind everyone...so, I don't know. Anyway, for those of you who have been able to find it, hope you enjoy. For everyone else, I may have to hunt them down. What's a girl to do?

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On their way home, Logan stopped and suddenly pulled a U-Turn. Veronica was taken completely off-guard.

"Wh-what are you doing, Logan!" She screeched.

He turned into a parking lot and parked quickly in front of a Mongolian food restaurant.

"Well, I think it's time we stopped ordering in all of the time. We are eating out tonight!" He said in a grand voice. She shook her head and laughed at his dramatic ways.

"Sounds great." They got out of the SUV and walked hand in hand into the restaurant.

Veronica and Logan had eaten at the Mongolian restaurant a few times the first time they were friends. They had gone by themselves because Lilly and Duncan never wanted Mongolian. Veronica never knew if it was because they couldn't get past the fact that they were having to dish up frozen pieces of raw meat from a buffet line or if it was just that they had to serve themselves. Either way, whenever Logan or Veronica had a craving for it, they would call each other, knowing that the Kane siblings would suggest another option.

"Wow, it's been forever since I've been here." She looked up at Logan and smiled. "We had a lot of good times here."

"Yeah, it was the only time we got to spend any real time together. It was so rare that Duncan and Lilly weren't around, but this place was just ours." Logan finished quietly and he had adopted a faraway look in his eyes as the hint of a smile twitched at his mouth.

"What is it? What are you thinking about?" She didn't know what could make him space out like that in the middle of their conversation.

"I was just remembering something."

When he didn't continue, Veronica prodded him. "And..."  
He ducked his head a little and said, "I was remembering that there were a couple of times when I suggested coming here because I just wanted some alone time with you, not because I really wanted the food."

"Really?" She couldn't believe what he was saying. He was with Lilly then. The thought that he felt like she could offer him something that he didn't get from Lilly or Duncan, was foreign to her.

"Yeah. You always made me feel special Veronica, like you really cared. I had a great time with Lilly, but it was more wild and fun and always fast-paced. That's all it was, though. We never had any quiet, real moments."

"Of course Duncan's great, he's my best friend. As for caring and tender moments, well let's just say, that's not the kind of relationship we have." She smiled at his humor.

"It was nice to come here with you and be able to talk about anything. You never made fun of me for anything I said and you opened up more with me when we were alone. I felt like we were more real with each other when we were alone. I just needed that...needed you sometimes."

"You probably think that's sappy, huh?" He asked her, shrugging.

"No, actually, I used to do that too, sometimes." It was her turn to look away.

"What? Are you just saying that?" Veronica's life had been practically perfect when she was dating Duncan and best friends with Lilly. 'Why would she want to spend time with just me?'

"No, I'm serious. I used to love spending time with you, but it was so hard with Lilly and Duncan. I mean, the minute that we would start to have a real conversation, one of them would interrupt us. Lilly was bigger than life and would own the conversation whenever she was around. The few times she wasn't taking your attention away, Duncan required mine. I always felt like we were on the verge of great conversations until they would show up. Being here was the only time our conversations were allowed to go deeper than school gossip without any distractions." She mirrored his shrug.

Logan was completely giddy. He had always thought that she just really wanted the Mongolian food and that it had nothing to do with him. After all, the girl could pack the stuff away at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

They finished eating and left the restaurant. It was dark outside and the parking lot was lit by streetlights. Logan stopped walking and suddenly yanked Veronica's arm back, sending her flying into his arms. When she smashed into him, he grabbed her around the waist and began dancing with her.

Veronica squealed and giggled out of surprise, but all of that melted away as soon as she looked up into Logan's chocolate brown eyes. They were like windows into his soul. She knew that he wasn't just goofing around. She saw only deep love and desire.

"Logan.." she whispered.  
"You are so beautiful, Veronica. I love you so much. I'm still shocked that you're here with me and I'm hoping that you don't wake up one of these days questioning why you are."

"Not a chance, Logan. Not a chance." She said fervently. "I don't have a choice. I have to be here because it hurts too much when I'm not. I love you." With that she tightened her hold on his shirt and pulled him toward her, there lips crashing with an immediate intensity.

They continued kissing and dancing until a car came by and a bunch of kids started hollering out the window at them. They broke apart and began to walk toward the Xterra, but they were both in a daze. Their arms were wrapped around each other as he opened her door for her.

"So are you pretty tired or do you still have some energy?" Logan asked her as they arrived at the house.

"Oh, I'm okay. What did you have in mind?" She was tired, but she wasn't ready to separate from Logan yet. She wanted to spend as much time with him as he was willing.

"Well, maybe a night swim? You don't even have to go through the trouble of changing into your swimsuit...I mean, considering you're now a pro at skinny dipping." He smirked as he obviously checked out her body.

"Yeah, and when my dad comes home in the middle of our swim?" She gave him a questioning look.

Logan laughed loudly. "With our luck, he'd probably decide to join us before he knew what was happening. Okay, go get your suit on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took less than five minutes of them swimming and playing around in the water before they gravitated toward each other. It amazed Veronica how quickly things could change with them. One minute they could be joking around and talking about nothing, really. The next they would be in the most intense moments, emotionally and physically.

They were holding each other as they leaned against the pool wall, staring into each other's eyes. Logan brushed a strand of golden hair away from her face; and she shuttered at the amazing feeling that such a simple touch could create within her.

"Are you cold?" His eyes showed concern, but the intensity behind them had not lessened.

Veronica couldn't answer him. All of her energy was focused on the sensory overload she was experiencing. She couldn't force herself to speak, only feel. She just shook her head slightly as she continued to stare into his eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Ronnie," Logan said in a low voice as he gently held her cheek and ran his thumb over her lips. He bent down slowly, holding her gaze with his own. He kissed the corner of her mouth and then pulled back slightly. The desire he felt was reflected back in her eyes.  
He was stunned. He was still getting used to the fact that they were no longer enemies. So much had happened in three weeks that sometimes he didn't believe that it was all real. Seeing her desire for him was part of that. He was in awe of her, and in awe of her feelings for him.

"How did I manage to end up with you? After everything that has happened...there's no way I will ever deserve you." This was one of the rare times that Logan Echolls was not touting how great he was.

Normally, Logan exuded an unrivaled air of confidence. Only those times when the world was really getting him down or during the most emotionally intimate moments would he admit that he was anything less than great.

Being with Veronica, though, he noticed that it was happening more and more. It wasn't because he was depressed, it was more that he had found someone he could trust with his feelings, all of his feelings. Those feelings that he didn't even talk to Duncan about, that he learned early on not to trust Lilly with; his most personal thoughts were open to Veronica. The oddest part? It didn't scare him at all.

"Are you kidding me, Logan?" She was speaking softly, but strongly. She wanted to make sure that he knew she was confident in what she was saying, that she wasn't saying it out of obligation.

"I have told you that there is no way I would have made it through these last few weeks without you." She was so afraid that he wouldn't believe her, so she decided to try a different route.

"Look, I understand what you're saying. You were a...not very nice person." She gave him a soft smile. "But, you know what, neither was I where you were concerned. Lilly's death hurt both of us and Duncan, and we've all dealt with it differently. I'm not saying it was okay, but do you forgive me for the things I've done to you?"

"Of course. I love you, Veronica." He was adamant and surprised that she would even ask for his forgiveness.

"So why wouldn't I forgive you? I love you, Logan Echolls. I forgive you and I don't want either of us to keep paying for our past sins." She continued as she saw the tears well up in his eyes and she fought back her own. "I just want to move forward. As long as we're together, we'll be fine. No more blame. Please be with me on this, I need you to be with me, okay?" She was pleading with him. She couldn't stand him thinking that he wasn't her equal. She wanted to end all of the push and pull and competition that had been between them in the past.

"Absolutely," Logan breathed out before he pulled her back into him. He was so overwhelmed by her openness with him. It'd been so long since he'd seen her that open with anyone, let alone him.

He kissed her so deeply and so passionately, wanting that one kiss to remove all of the pain and doubt and mistrust that had been between them. He was crushing her to him, but he wished he could be even closer.

They were kissing frantically and holding on with desperation as if they were fighting to stay sane, stay whole.  
When they finally did break apart, Logan's work had just begun. He worked his way along her jaw line, to her ear and down her neck.

He heard her gasp and then moan his name. His name. Hearing his name escape her lips in ecstasy was akin to lighting a fire within him.

He lifted her legs to wrap around him as he leaned his upper back against the pool wall for support and she could feel his erection pressing against her. They felt so close, with only the thin material of their bathing suits between them. He continued to kiss and nibble and suck on her smooth skin.

As one hand cupped her ass, the other moved up her side slowly before it came to rest with his thumb just under her breast and his fingers beside it. She was acutely aware of his hands, his mouth, his every touch.

She was scared. She didn't want to make love to him yet. She wasn't ready for that, but she did want more than he was giving her at that moment. She tightened her legs around him so that she was pressed further to him and dug her fingers into the muscles of his shoulder and back.

Veronica arched into him, wanting him to touch her, but not wanting to verbalize those desires. As if he understood what she was silently asking of him, he softly ran his thumb over her highly sensitized nipple.

He heard the whimpers coming from her and knew that she was as lost in the feeling as he was. When she started to tentatively rub herself against his erection, his mind began to white out. He was enjoying her body and the experience more than any other and they weren't even having sex.

He groaned. "Oh, Ronnie. Ronnie...Ronnie...Ronnie." He didn't know if he was chanting her name out loud or not, but her movements became more steady and sure. He was losing control and he wanted more of her.

Logan quickly spun them around so that Veronica's back was against the wall and he could rub against her harder. They were both panting and her head fell back against the pool wall as she squeezed her eyes shut.

She was so beautiful and Logan knew that he was going to climax, but wanted to please her, too. He began to quickly run his thumb over her nipple so lightly that it was almost a tickle. It seemed to work, though, as he felt her entire body tense and her head come up and press into his shoulder.

She sounded like she was laughing and crying at the same time and Logan couldn't control himself any longer. His grip tightened on her and he whispered his love into her ear. He brought them down slowly and they continued to cling to each other, bodies still buzzing; and neither wanting the moment to end.

When Logan finally pulled back to look at her, Veronica ducked his gaze.

"What's wrong, Veronica?" He was speaking softly, so concerned for her.  
"It's just, I've never done anything like that before. You know, to that extent." She had turned extremely shy.

"Are you okay? Did you not want that?" Logan was worried he had pushed her too far. With her history, he definitely didn't want to do anything with her that she would regret.

"No." His eyes widened, but she continued. "No, I didn't mean that. I did want that. I just don't know if...I didn't know how to...I just," she let out a frustrated breath while trying to find the right words to convey what she wanted to say.

She may have been rambling, but Logan understood everything that she was unsuccessfully trying communicate to him. She was feeling inadequate sexually. He was light years ahead of her in experience and he'd used that experience to give her an immense amount of pleasure. She had never had an orgasm before, at least, not that she had remembered. She was so nervous that she had gotten so much pleasure from him, but hadn't given him enough.

She was second guessing everything. Maybe she should have done something different with her hands to help stimulate him, maybe she should have been kissing him back. She just didn't know.

"Hey, look at me." He gently pushed her chin up so that he could look into her eyes.

"You know that expression, 'better than sex'?"

"Yeah?" Worry furrowed her face.

"Well, what just happened between us...was better than sex." When she looked at him like he was crazy, he continued. "What we just did felt better to me than any sex I've ever had. Eventually, when we do have sex, I may have to call a time out for pleasure overload!" He smiled softly at her. He was still talking gently to her, trying to calm her fears.

She rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle.

'The things he'll say to make me feel better,' she thought as she shook her head.

"I'm serious, Veronica. If you want to know what I was thinking, that was it. When you started rubbing against me, that is exactly what I was thinking. That your body and what we were doing felt better than any body I've ever touched and any sexual experience I've ever had, and we weren't even having sex." He continued to look straight into her eyes so that she would know how serious he was.

"Really?" She asked hesitantly.

"Really."

"Logan," she took a deep breath and then let it out. "I know this is bad timing, but I need to tell you something."  
"Okay. Go ahead, it's okay." He was trying to make her comfortable and make her understand that she could tell him anything. He wanted her to tell him everything she was thinking.

He had never met anyone who's every thought that went through their head, he wanted to know. Half of the time, he didn't even want to know his own thoughts. With Veronica, though, he wanted to share in everything that was her. He wanted to know what made her tick in every situation and at every moment.

"It's just...I'm not really ready yet to go to that next step. I do love you, I'm just not ready for that yet." She was nervous about the disappointment she was sure he would feel. Instead, she immediately saw understanding in his eyes and the reassuring smile he sent back to her.

"Oh, Ronnie. Don't worry about that, okay? Hey, who says that I'm ready to have sex with you?" They both chuckled at the absurdity of his comment.

"Okay, okay. Yeah, I can't wait to make love to you, but I will. I plan on being with you for a very long time. I know that I will have plenty of time when we are both ready."

"I want everything to be right and that means that you need to be comfortable every step of the way. Promise me that you'll tell me the minute that you aren't, okay?" He waited for her to answer.

"Okay, Logan."

"Good. It's not just for you, you know. If we do something that one of us doesn't like, it won't be as enjoyable for either one of us. You know me...I'm all about maximizing the pleasure." He smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her.

Veronica laughed less at his antics and more at the shift in mood. Once again, they had covered the spectrum. This time, it was from serious and heated to goofy and playful.

She decided that Logan had a gift. Whether he knew it or not, he could really read people and what they needed. When she needed light, he gave her light. When she needed reassurance, he provided. When she showed him desire, he gave it back in spades. It was a true gift.

"You ready to get ready for bed, Sweetie?" When she gave him an odd look, he responded.

"What?

"You've never called me 'Sweetie' before." She hadn't asked a question, but still waited for his response.

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd try it out. All I've got is Ronnie, and that name has been through good and bad times. Your dad calls you 'honey' a lot and that ass Troy took 'Baby'. I've just decided that I need to find something for just me." He shrugged. "I'll be trying out some names, so if any strike you as particularly wonderful, don't hesitate to tell me."

"Oh, okay. Sounds like a plan, Stan!"  
"Hey, I'm Logan." He feigned appalled.

"Well, it was such a good idea, I thought I'd try out nicknames for you, too."

"Haha...funny," Logan said dryly and then picked her up to carry her out of the pool.

They dried off and walked into the house. When they reached Veronica's bedroom door, they stopped and just held each other for a few minutes. They dreaded being apart, neither understanding how they could spend as much time as they had together recently, and still want more. It was natural to get a little irritated with someone after spending so much time with them. It didn't matter who it was. Veronica and Logan never seemed to get to that point, though.

Finally, Logan looked at Veronica and said, "We'd better get to bed, big day tomorrow."

She sighed heavily. "I know, I know. Just one more minute?"

"How could I resist that request?" Logan said as he lowered his head to rest against hers, which was laying on his chest. He slowly rubbed patterns on her back.

They finally parted and he watched her disappear behind her bedroom door. He stood there for a moment, hands in his pocket, just staring at the door.

"Logan?" He jumped as he heard Keith's quiet voice.

"Oh, hey, Mr. Mars." He was embarrassed at being caught and had hoped that Keith hadn't noticed.

"Why are you standing there? Are you hoping that Veronica will know you're there just by your stare? 'Cause I've gotta tell you, the whole knocking thing works much better." He smiled knowingly at the boy.

"No, we just said goodnight. I wasn't quite ready to walk away." He didn't know why he was opening up to Keith, especially about Veronica.

"I understand. I felt the same way about Lianne when we were younger. Good night, Logan. I'm exhausted and I'm just going to hit the hay."

"Alright, me too. Good night, Mr. Mars." Logan turned to leave, but then stopped. "Uh, I actually need to talk to you about something really quickly."

"Shoot." Keith resembled the walking dead at that point, but he knew it had to be important. Logan wasn't one to just shoot the bull for no good reason, at least not with him.

"Well, it's just that I have the ring that Troy gave to Veronica. I wanted to get rid of it, but I knew it wasn't my place. I didn't really want to talk to her about it just yet; she hasn't seen it since I took it off of her finger on our way back from Mexico. I thought I'd ask you what I should do."

"Actually, in an odd way, it is her ring, but it's also evidence. Proves intent, etc, etc. So, why don't you give it to me, I'll turn it into the FBI tomorrow and then hopefully, after all of this is done, she can sell it for college money or something. She can turn something bad into something beneficial for her." He followed Logan as the young man walked toward his room and then waited at the door for him to retrieve the ring.

"Here you go." Keith could see the disgust in Logan's face at just looking at the ring.

"It will only help us solidify the case against him. That's a good thing, son. Remember that, okay?" He knew that Logan wanted them to have nothing more to do with anything that reminded her of Troy.

"I know. I still wish I could throw it out or have some sort of ceremonial burning, or something." Keith smiled at the boy's comments.

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09nerLoVer: Almost missed your review before I posted this. Anyway, school reaction is coming in the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Adja:Watch out, Amy! Ah, Logan and V will have their problems...Duncan won't be one of them.

AJzkitten69: ROTFL! You are too funny! Yes, vehicles are never safe when Duncan is around.

beatlechicksteph: Glad you're liking the lull. Things do heat up again...in a different way than they did this chapter. But, I do like them getting a chance to enjoy each other for a little bit.

Elektra Bauer: I'm glad you like the story and the chapter. Hope you heal quickly.

HannaBanana: I'm glad you liked it. Stay tuned to find out where they finally end up.

hulahula551: Thank you. Yes, see I blame a lot of the unruly behavior that Logan displays in canon on his father and the abuse. This is my way of making up for that a little.

lagurlroks: Well, see, I can grant one of those wishes. Another chapter you say? Absolutely!

Lorelei Candice Black: Thank you. Still waiting to see what happens with Wedding Bells.

LoVeElle: Thank you. Next chapter we will get to the school stuff. Hope you enjoy it. (As for apartment hunting being fun...In the words of Logan Echolls, "...not doing it right.") heehee

RBDFAN: Hey, I'm just thinking of you! Um, but a little angst is good, too. Just remember that, k?

RedBrick: Don't worry, the action will pick up again...actually it did in this chapter, just a little different kind of action. When I was writing this, I found that all of the action we just got through with Troy and stuff was a lot for my heart to take...even though I knew what was ultimately going to happen. I needed to write the fluff just so that I could breathe easier for a little while. You know, foreshadowing is such a cool thing, don't you think? I learned about it when I was in Mrs. Thomas' 9th Grade Honors English class. Wow, she was a Nazi! She was breeding us for greatness...or at least that's what she saw as her position. Anyway, Aaron does make another appearance in one or two chapters. It isn't a very lengthy role, but we will see him again!

ShmexyShmexyHinny Did you expect me to do ALL of the work? I don't think so. But, I'm not all that clever...I'm sure you could break the code.

sofy2409: Ok, well, where to start? Yes, a lot of people have forgotten about the M rating issue. You aren't the only one. Also, there isn't going to be much more about Troy. This fic won't cover trial or anything like that. The trial goes out of the time line for the fic. And, two weeks you say? Well, you are going to have a lot of catching up to do and the story should be totally posted at that point. DON'T skip ahead. I know you'll want to, but no:-)

VMarsfan73: Thank you, thank you, thank you! And, yes, they told Wallace the day before Duncan when he walked into the dining room where LoVe were on the ground in a tickling match.

Vmfan387: You're right. They both care deeply for him. They'd never hurt him intentionally.

VMLoVeR87: Thank you. Yes, Keith may love Logan, but no matter what...V will always be his sweet little girl.

XoSethCohenxO: Well, there are still a couple of loose ends that need to be tied up. Duncan finding out about the hickey? I can tell you that. He doesn't find out. At least not in this fic. If anything that would come out during the trial, but my fic won't cover that. She will just let everyone think that Logan gave it to her because she doesn't want everyone speculating even more about the details of what Troy did to her. For all anyone knows, they just drove until they got picked up. Knowing that Troy gave her the hickey shows that he got close enough to do other things, too.

xosummerxo: Ok, so I never really thought of doing a sequel to DL, but maybe. I've got to finish the last chapter for DL and get through the other fic that is trying to take over my brain. Then, I'll see how things look at that point. I think a lot of people are having trouble finding it now because it's rated M now.

XXspuffster101XX: Yes, "Princess Bride", one of Hollywood's all time best. And, Carey Elwes, just plain fabulous! Ok, so here's the deal! Don't be horribly upset, but the Troy situation won't be fully resolved by the end of my fic. There is a bit more about him, but in reality, he'll just be sitting in jail when the fic ends. I'm not going to have him escape and the trial that would decide his fate is too far outside my time line. Now, several people have inquired about a sequel. I have not put much consideration into it because I have to finish DL and then write the fic that won't get out of my head. Once those are done, we'll see. If I were to do a sequel, I'm sure I'd deal with Troy then. SORRY!! (Winces in anticipation of being berated.)


	35. Chapter 35

Drunk Logan

Chapter 35

A/N: Just a little reminder...I don't own any part of VM, but there are certain parts of Logan, I'd like to. Does that count?

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Monday morning brought with it a host of emotions for Logan and Veronica. They were both trying to be strong and put on a brave face for one another. Inside, though, they were plagued with uncertainty.

Veronica knew that the press would be bad. It hadn't let up all weekend and she was hoping that they wouldn't have to fight with it at school, too. She was nervous about school. She was used to people talking about her, but this thing with Troy was different. It was like when she thought she was raped. Although she knew it wasn't her fault, it was still a private matter and she didn't want people speculating about the details.

Veronica was also afraid for Logan. She knew that he'd stand by her, but she didn't know what would happen to him when he did. The 09er's may not make him an outcast like they had her, but she knew the rumors would be bad. She didn't want him to have to feel the hurt of having your "friends" talking behind your back.

She also knew how protective Logan was of her. There was a very real possibility that he would find himself in the middle of a fist fight or two. And, although she knew he could take care of himself, there was still a chance he could get hurt.

Logan was anxious for school, too. He couldn't care less what anyone said about him. He'd spent his entire life having rumors and lies about himself splashed all over the tabloids. He was more concerned about Veronica. She'd had so much to deal with, and he just wanted a break for her. She hadn't deserved all of the stuff he and the other 09er's had put her through over the last year and she certainly didn't deserve it now. He got angry just thinking about it all.

Both of them were happy about one thing. They would be facing the day with the one person they'd found so much comfort and strength in for the past few weeks.

Breakfast and the ride to school were pretty quiet. What conversation there was, had to do with mundane topics no where related to school. When they pulled into the parking lot, they were happy to see that the press had been kept at the gates to the school and did not have access to the students on school grounds. Logan shut off the engine and reached over and grabbed Veronica's hand. They just sat there, heads resting back on their seats, looking at each other.

"You know that I'm glad you're here, right?" Veronica said quietly and gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"You know," he raised their joined hands and kissed her fingers before continuing, "that I love you, right? I'm glad I'm here with you."

"Thank you, Logan." She gave him a chaste kiss. "I love you, too."

"Well, it's time, my dear." Logan tried to lighten the moment.

"Ready to face the firing squad?" Her mouth quirked into a small smile and she winked at him as she tried to cover her anxiety.

"With you? Of course!" He kissed her quickly and then got out of the SUV. He reached Veronica's door just as she was getting out and grabbed her hand, closing the door behind her. People were staring at them as they walked to the school, but no one said anything...at least not to them. The whispering had already started.

When they reached the building, Logan opened the door with a flourish and swept his arm out, motioning for her to enter. As soon as they walked in together, the noise in the hall reduced to a low murmur. Logan looked down into Veronica's eyes and saw the discomfort she was feeling. He reached out his hand and she looked at it, then slowly laced their fingers together. They continued walking toward her locker.

They'd only gotten a few steps when they saw Dick and Beaver approaching them, with a few other 09er's lagging closely behind them. Veronica immediately picked up on the daggers being shot at her from the 09er girls. Her attention was brought back to the guys as soon as Dick started speaking.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing? Please tell me that this is like some new reality show called 'My Skank'." Dick had leaned toward Logan's ear as if he were going to get a real answer from Logan by keeping the gag going.

"Goodbye, Dick." Logan said calmly, but with a deadly serious tone.

"What?" Dick backed up a little. He couldn't figure out what twisted reality they were in.

"Get out of my way," Logan started pointedly. "If you have a problem with Veronica, then leave."

"Actually, if you have a problem with Veronica, you're pretty much dead to me so just like evaporate or something, I don't know."

He turned to the rest of the crowd, "That's kind of a general invitation. If you don't like my girlfriend, then just stay away from me."

Dick and everyone else looked shocked, but they stayed quiet. Veronica and Logan noticed Duncan by his locker. He was gathering his books, trying to ignore the showdown in the middle of the hallway. Logan was happy that they had talked to Duncan the night before. Otherwise, the situation would have been ten times more awkward for them all.

Everyone eventually went back to socializing, albeit quietly, casting glances at Logan and Veronica every once in a while.  
"Whew! See now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Logan smirked at Veronica.

"Oh, yeah. Can we do it again?" Veronica clapped with faux excitement.

"Not right now, Sugarlips. We do have to go to class, you know?"

"Sugarlips?"

"Yeah...No?" He looked questioningly at her.

"Yeah, NO. Keep trying, buddy."

"Well, let's get you to class so that I can get my learning on. You know how upset I get when I'm tardy." He was trying to keep a serious face.

"Logan, you invented tardy!" They were laughing as they walked toward her class as carefree as possible while trying to avoid the continuing gossip around them.

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What they didn't notice was the pair of eyes that hadn't left them the entire time they were in the hall. The eyes that were filled with hatred.

Lilly had been the Queen of Neptune High. Everyone knew it and watched every move that Lilly made, including who she trusted as friends. Her brother, Duncan. Her boyfriend, Logan. Her best friend and only true confidant, Veronica Mars.

Veronica, who at the time, was dating the crowned Prince of Neptune High, Duncan Kane. The same Veronica who didn't have the same money that the other 09ers had. She shouldn't have had the same social status as them. In fact, she should have been ousted from their group before she'd even become a part of it.

Instead, she had actually sat higher than the rest of them. It was Lilly and Duncan who had made her the second most sought after girl at Neptune High. The guys wanted her, although they never hit on her because she was with Duncan. The girls wanted to be her. They wanted to be looked up to, to be Lilly's best friend, go to the best parties and meet the famous people that hung around the Echolls' and the Kane's.

Veronica had gotten what she'd deserved after Lilly died. She'd been ousted and treated like the trash she was. Lilly was no longer there to ensure her status and Duncan had turned a blind eye toward her. Logan was the best, though. He went from protecting her and her status to being the first and loudest to attack and ridicule her.

Now, though, the tide had turned again. The once ruthless Logan Echolls had somehow fallen back under Veronica's spell.  
'What is it about her? Why are the most popular kids here drawn to her?' She pondered.

'Doesn't matter. I'm going to put an end to this before it can get out of control,' She thought as she watched Logan and Veronica kiss each other before Veronica disappeared into her class.

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Logan and Veronica were sitting at the lunch table that Wallace and Veronica normally shared. Wallace walked up and sat down, looking at the two strangely.

"What?" Veronica could see the wheels turning in his mind.

"This is going to be weird," he said vaguely.

"What is?" Veronica and Logan spoke simultaneously. All three of them laughed.

"Well, I was going to say that having anyone else at our table was going to take some getting used to...but this whole mind meld thing you two have going tops that." They all laughed again.

"Yeah, usually we are in no man's land," Veronica said. They all knew that it wasn't the complete truth. In fact, lately, they had gotten quite used to Troy joining them for lunch. None of them would mention that, though. No one felt the need to bring up his name.

Not a minute after the words were spoken, Dick, Beaver and Luke came walking up to the table. Wallace and Veronica stared openly at the three, while Logan barely noticed their presence.

"Logan...and Logan's special lady friend, who I have absolutely no problems with," then turning toward Wallace, Dick continued, "...and Logan's special lady friend's special friend, whom I know nothing about."

"Are these seats taken?" Dick pointed to the empty seats at their table. Logan then took notice. He had ignored them, not sure that they had definitely decided to fall in line, but apparently they were willing to accept Logan's terms of friendship.

Logan looked at Veronica. It wasn't necessarily for permission, but he definitely wanted to make sure that she would be comfortable with them sitting at her table. When he received the imperceptible nod from her, he lifted his hand toward the table and shrugged.

The boys sat down and started talking as if the last year had not happened. Veronica and Wallace were just looking at each other amazed at the scene playing out in front of them.

"Okay, Logan sitting here is no longer seeming odd to me." Wallace said quietly to Veronica and she nodded slowly back at him.

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The afternoon went oddly well. Veronica hadn't been harassed too much by anyone, although everyone was still gossiping about her 'ordeal', as Vice Principal Clemmons had labeled it.

Journalism was a little awkward because they shared the class with Duncan, but Duncan stood by his word. He didn't cause any trouble for them, but mainly just stayed to himself.

Logan and Veronica's teachers were very understanding and tried to help them with makeup assignments. They would both have a ton of homework to catch up on...again, but they had gotten caught up before. They would just have to buckle down and they'd be able to get through it, especially with the leeway the teachers were giving them.

As they walked hand in hand to the Xterra, Logan noticed that Veronica had gotten very quiet. She was acting a lot like she had on the way to school.

"Hey, what's going on in that head of yours?" He asked softly as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Not much. I'm just not looking forward to my little trip to the Sheriff's Department to give my statement to the FBI." Logan had forgotten about that. In fact, he had been happy in his last class, thinking of taking Veronica home and getting to hang out alone with her for awhile before Keith came home.

"Oh yeah." Logan said glumly, but then snapped out of it quickly. He couldn't afford to be down. Veronica needed him to be strong and supportive right now. She needed to know that he would be with her and that she didn't have to go through this alone.

"Hey, I'll be with you every step of the way, if you want. I want to help you however I can, okay?" He pulled her to a stop and looked down at her. She smiled tightly at him and he knew that she was putting on her best front for him. She didn't want him to worry about her, he'd done enough of that for a lifetime, it seemed.

He kissed her softly, then pulled back slightly and looked into her watery eyes. He descended on her again, kissing her slowly at first. He caressed her cheek with his hand and ran his other hand through the back of her hair, tugging gently on the ends of her locks.

Before she knew what was happening, he had her pressed up against the Xterra and his tongue had dipped into her mouth to dance with her own. She was transfixed by him and his kisses. It amazed her that she still hadn't gotten used to them. His kisses weren't all that new to her anymore. She should've known what to expect from him and been able to keep her thoughts straight.

She wondered if she would ever fully get used to his kisses. When he kissed her, he held nothing back. She could feel every emotion that rolled around within him. His love, devotion, passion, lust, desperation and desire poured into her in waves. He kissed her as if yearning for anything she could give him and he took and took and took.

She thought for a moment that it should have scared her that he wanted so much from her. Instead, she only found herself wanting to give more and more to him.

When the kiss finally broke, Logan rested his forehead on hers and she sighed and smiled contentedly. She loved that he had the ability to wash away her troubles, if only temporarily. Logan opened her door for her and then shut it behind her. As he walked around the SUV to his door, he noticed that they had drawn a bit of a crowd. People had been watching them share a very tender moment. He just shook his head and smirked as he got into his seat.

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When they got to the Sheriff's Department, they were met by Keith, who had been waiting for them. He told Logan that he'd have to stay in the waiting area while Veronica gave her statement.

Logan was not happy about being kept away from Veronica, but he understood. He knew Keith would have let him go into the room with her, if he could. It was policy, but it still didn't make it easy. Keith had assured him that he would be with her and it made Logan feel better. He knew that Keith was more than capable of protecting and supporting Veronica, but he still wished he could be the one taking care of her.

He sat in the waiting area for an hour and a half. Well, actually, he sat, he stood, he paced. He would occasionally make a trip down the short hallway to the vending machine to study its contents. He wasn't hungry and even if he were, he wouldn't have been able to keep anything down. His stomach was in knots and he was just trying anything to keep himself busy, anything that would help him from bursting into that room to check on Veronica.

There were a few magazines in the waiting area, but just looking at the covers proved to be a mistake. Troy, nor his family were famous, but they did have money. Veronica was an unknown for the most part, but she did have ties to Lilly Kane and the Sheriff who 'botched' the Lilly Kane investigation. Then, there was Logan, who was a target for the paparazzi at any given time because of his parents. You put Troy, Veronica and Logan together, throwing ex-Sheriff Mars into the mix, and you've got yourself a tabloid field day.

Logan knew the story would calm down, stories always did. Unfortunately, it had only been a couple of days since their return to Neptune and would be another couple before the story was replaced with something more newsworthy.

When they were approaching the two-hour mark, Logan had just about given up on self-control. He stood up, determined to head down the hallway toward Veronica, but was stopped by the sight of her.

Veronica was being led toward him. Keith had his arm around her and she had a blank look on her face. Logan could tell that she had been crying from the red, puffy eyes she was sporting and the lack of eye contact she was sharing with him. He looked at Keith, who gave him a tight smile and nodded his head.

"Hey," Logan said quietly, as if he would break her by being too loud.

"Hey," she said as she glanced at him quickly and then away again.

"Okay, I'll see you at home later, Honey." Keith let go of her as Logan wrapped his arm around her.

Keith patted Logan on the back and as he passed him he spoke just loud enough for Logan to hear, "She'll be fine. She just needs some time."

Logan nodded and then walked Veronica out the door, guiding her into the Xterra.

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The night was a quiet one. Veronica tried to act like everything was fine, but she was emotionally and physically exhausted from reliving every detail of her time with and leading up to Troy. She knew it wasn't her fault that he was some psycho, obsessive, kidnapper-type. Unfortunately, after spending two hours of detailed questioning by the FBI about the things she said and did with him leading up to the kidnapping and during the kidnapping, she wondered what she could have done differently.

She'd spent a lot of time studying people while working for her dad. How is it that she could have missed the signs with Troy? Not that she would have known he would go to the lengths that he had, but she should have seen that something was amiss with him. She hadn't, though, and it was driving her crazy.

She had asked Logan to stay with her that night when she went to sleep. She knew that he was afraid that her father would come home and find them, but she wanted him to stay until she fell asleep.

Logan did stay with her, and Keith did find him there. Keith smiled a little at the sight in front of him. Logan was fully clothed and on top of the covers, but he had Veronica wrapped tightly in his arms. He knew that Veronica had needed Logan today.

As Keith watched her sleep peacefully in the arms of her boyfriend, he recalled all that she had gone through in the two hours with the FBI. They tried to be gentle with her, understanding that she was only a teenage girl, who had experienced a psychologically traumatic event. He watched as she tried so hard to be strong while answering their questions.

Veronica knew how it worked. She knew that they weren't asking about her feelings, those weren't things that wouldn't help them in gathering and organizing evidence for the prosecutor. The prosecutor is the one who would put on a show in court for the jury. He or she would be the one to really play up all of the emotions that this poor, unsuspecting, innocent teenage girl had experienced at the hands of a madman in a boy's body.

Veronica did what needed to be done. She answered the FBI's questions as completely as she could without going into any of the emotional details about it. At least, that is the way she spoke until she got to the part in the story where she had realized that no one had followed them from the border and no one was coming to help her. That was the point that she knew she had to surrender to Troy until she could find a way to escape.

Although, she only told the FBI enough detail about her thoughts to explain why she married him and why she would later prepare to sleep with him, she had broken down. She continued to cry softly throughout the rest of her statement. The words she used, the way she spoke about the ordeal showed a great deal of detachment and maturity, but the emotion her tears showed betrayed her.

After Veronica had left with Logan, Keith rejoined the group of agents. They were all talking about how amazing she'd been. She had been the perfect 'victim' in their eyes. Normally, in law enforcement, when someone goes through what Veronica had, they are much less composed. Veronica, on the other hand, was able to recall detail after minute detail about Troy and her ordeal. Except for the tears that she reluctantly let flow, she showed little emotion. They had expected to be there for much longer, trying to pull out the information they needed from her, while navigating the emotional minefield that they were traversing.

The agents all complimented Keith on the daughter he had raised. They were quite impressed with her composure, which oddly made them more emotional for her and more determined to see justice served for her.

Keith was torn as to whether he should wake Logan or leave him there. In the end, he decided that Veronica's need for Logan's friendship and security at that moment overrode his own apprehension about letting his daughter share a bed with her boyfriend.

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The next morning, Veronica woke feeling tired, but good. She turned to see Logan still behind her, clinging to her. He looked so serious, like he knew, even in his sleep, that he was performing a duty. That duty...comforting and protecting Veronica.

Veronica gave him a quick kiss on his forehead before she got up to shower before school.

The day started a little easier than the day before. They had already come out to everyone at school and weren't as apprehensive on the ride to the school. Logan walked Veronica to her first class, like he had the day before and met her between classes. Things were starting to feel normal and Logan was liking the feeling. He had even witnessed a few of the true snarky-Veronica moments that he'd missed. She was slowly getting back to her old self, minus the loathing-Logan part. He was happy to see that she hadn't been broken by this latest event.

The only odd thing that had happened during the day was when Madison had come up to him in the hall and pulled him into a deserted side hallway. She spoke quietly to him about how happy she was that he and Veronica had gotten together and she'd warned him that there were people who weren't so happy for them. She vowed that she would help to keep an eye out for them.

If that wasn't weird enough, he almost felt like she was hitting on him. Despite the seriousness of her words, he could have sworn that she was flirting with him and had even leaned into him at one point and then asked him to help her remove a piece of fuzz from her hair.

It was all very odd, but Logan figured that she was just being typical Madison. She was trying to position herself to be in good with whomever was popular at the moment, yet still showing a loyalty to Logan himself, over all else.

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Logan had invited Wallace over after school. He'd loved the alone time he'd spent with Veronica, but he also knew that besides Saturday, Wallace and Veronica hadn't gotten much of a chance to hang out together over the last few weeks.

He didn't want her to give up her best friend. Wallace was important to Veronica and had befriended her when no one else would go near her. That impressed Logan and he figured that the more time Veronica spent with Wallace, the faster she would feel 'normal' again, at least her version of normal.

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Logan came face to face with just how 'normal' life was becoming at Neptune High again, while watching The Navigator daily news broadcast during the Wednesday morning announcements. The broadcast was suddenly interrupted when a video of Logan talking quietly and standing too close to Madison Sinclair in a deserted hallway came on the screen.

He was confused at first until he watched her lean into him and him make a movement that looked like he was caressing her hair. He closed his eyes and shook his head while he laid it into his hands.

Logan couldn't figure out why someone would have recorded them together and then broadcast it to the whole school.

'The whole school.' Logan thought to himself. 'Oh, no... Veronica.'

Logan shot out of his seat and walked quickly out of the classroom. He had to find Veronica and convince her somehow that he hadn't been cheating on her. Even he had to admit that the scene that played on the tv did not look innocent.

After checking her first period class and not finding her, he walked aimlessly around the school. He came up empty handed everywhere he checked and ended up going back to class. When he didn't see her at lunch, he knew that she was probably just upset with him, but he needed to make sure she was okay. There had been too many awful things that happened when she went missing.

He decided to call Mr. Mars to make sure that everything was okay. He wanted to confirm that Troy was still in jail.

"What's going on, Logan?" Keith could hear the worry in his voice.

"Nothing. I'm sure it's nothing. I think that Veronica's avoiding me, but I just want to make sure."

"Well, I just left Troy with his attorney, so we can count him out. Why would she be avoiding you?" Keith was just trying to figure out what the problem was.

"We just had a misunderstanding. When I find her, we'll work it out. I just needed to make sure that she is safe. You think you could call her? She'll answer your calls. Just let me know that she's okay." Logan didn't know who else he could ask. He wasn't used to talking to his girlfriends' fathers about his problems with their daughters, but he had no one else to turn to. There was no one else who would understand the panic he had gotten himself into just because Veronica was avoiding him.

"Sure, Logan. I'll call you back." Keith knew exactly what Logan was going through. No matter what problem he and Veronica were having, he didn't deserve to go through the scare he was feeling at that moment.

He did call Logan back a couple of minutes later and let him know that she was okay. She was at school and had just told her dad that she was busy and had to go. Logan felt better knowing that she was physically okay. However, he was devastated that his fear that she was avoiding him had been confirmed.

They had made it to the end of the school day and he walked out to the SUV not knowing what to expect. When he saw her standing by her door, he sighed a breath of relief. At least he would have the chance to talk to her and try to convince her that he'd been set up. It sounded ridiculous in his own mind, he had no idea what he was going to say to her to make her understand the truth.

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Adja: Thank you. You know, if feel very strongly about V's sexuality. She truly is a girl who has not had that much experience (that she remembers). She's not a porn star and she's always been careful about sex. She didn't have sex w/Duncan the first time they dated. She didn't have sex with Logan the first time they dated and the only reason she jumped into sex w/Duncan the 2nd time they dated was because she had a brush with death that affected her. Although I'm a smut fan, I still want to keep her in character.

AJzkitten69: ok, wow! You are totally going to have to set those 'work' people straight. They really are cutting in on our time together.

alecygoodness22: You are so kind. Yes, all of your wonderings should be answered in this chapter...to a point. :-)

copperboom321: Well, Again...thank you so much. Hey, the fact that you still have the desire to compliment is great! I really appreciate it.

Elektra Bauer: Thank you. I really appreciate the feedback!!

Emjay91: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it and hope you like what's coming.

lagurlroks: I think that you'll appreciate Aaron's brief appearance. Oh, and let's not have Keith interrupt THAT. That would just be horrible:-) They can only be interrupted by various forces so many times.

Literati and naley forever: Yea! Glad that you'll be able to read. Honestly, there isn't much more about Troy. The stuff at school, I looked at Logan and V just downplaying everything. People can spread the rumors they want to spread, but L/V don't want to add or deny any truths. Hope it won't disappoint too badly.

Lorelei Candice Black: thank you, thank you very much!

LoVeElle: What? Are you psychic or something? Please, before you do anything rash...let me explain. And, I'll do that in the next 12 chapters. You'll have to keep the computer around if you want to see things resolved. Oh, and thank you for the compliments. It's very difficult for me to write stuff like that. That was the furthest I'd gone. The only writing I've done is this fic, so obviously the only sexual scenes are the ones you've read and anything that may come in the rest of the fic. The sweetness factor? My friend asked me if I could turn it down and turn down the "I love you's" in the next fic I write. Heeheehee.

RBDFAN: A serving of angst you say?

RedBrick: Agree...agree...agree...and agree! I'm so glad we're on the same page (wink)

SaraLyleth: Wow, I'm glad that you are feeling better. Hopefully, you're all done with being sick. That's never fun. Yes, she was doing it with noble intentions, but them together...a much more formidable force. Hey, looks like you're still around. Still getting your reviews. Hopefully you'll get to catch this chapter, too.

ShmexyShmexyHinny: ROTFL!!! Really, you are just hilarious.

sofy2409: Hey, have a great trip!!! Thanks for the great review. You should have a pretty good read by the time you get back! Thanks! Stay safe!

Vmfan387: I couldn't agree with you more. I'm glad you liked it.

XoSethCohenxO: Ok, Aaron will reappear, but only for a short time. Ok, V having an affair with him...you are a sick puppy:-) She's no Lilly (yeah, I have my issues with Lilly). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the little bit of Aaron that will be in the fic.

xosummerxo: hmmm, hopefully it gets easier for people to find the story! I'm so glad you liked it, though.

XXspuffster101XX: Oh, the kids hollering were just being kids. You know like, "Woohoo! Yow! Go for it, Man!" You know, stupid stuff like that. Just enough to break up the moment. And, how did you like the school reaction?


	36. Chapter 36

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 36

A/N: This is another one where I'm going to have to postpone review replies. One correction though, I told Lorelei Candice Black that I was looking forward to seeing what happened with Wedding Bells. Correction of title, it should have been Veronica's Wedding. Sorry!!

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"Veronica, I..." Logan began nervously, but was cut off by Veronica.

"Not here, Logan," she said as she glanced around the parking lot filled with prying eyes.

He understood what she was saying and opened her door for her. The ride home was silent and Logan was just waiting for the fireworks to start. He wasn't sure how long she was going to give him the silent treatment, but he also wasn't sure he wanted it to end. He was afraid of her reaction.

Although Logan knew that he'd done nothing wrong, he also knew how it looked...and it looked bad. He knew Veronica, too. With everything she'd been through in the last year and all of the infidelity she'd witnessed while parked outside The Camelot, she wasn't the same trusting girl he'd know since they were twelve.

She could end what they had and walk away from him without hearing him out or believing what he said. She wouldn't be right to do so, but he would understand her need to protect herself and her desire to retreat back into her comfort zone and away from him. He was hoping more and more with every minute that passed that she wouldn't leave him over this.

When they finally arrived at his house, Veronica got out of the car and walked toward the door before Logan even had a chance to get out of his seat. She waited for him to unlock the front door and then walked in when he stood back to let her pass.

He put his head down and closed his eyes for a second while trying to get his thoughts together. He couldn't wait any longer. He was going to start the dreaded conversation and hope for the best. When he opened his eyes and looked up to speak, he was startled by the sight of her flying at him.

Veronica jumped into his arms, sending Logan stumbling back against the now closed door, and kissed him for all she was worth. It took him a second to figure out that she wasn't attacking him, but that she was 'attacking' him. He snapped out of it and quickly engaged in the kiss.

Logan had no idea what was happening. As long as she was in his arms and smothering him with her kisses, he didn't care. When she finally pulled back slightly, he let out a pitiful whimper. Then he looked into her eyes, but couldn't tell what she was thinking. He'd gotten pretty good at reading her, but had no clue what she was thinking at that moment.

"What was that for?" Logan asked her.  
"What do you mean? What was that for?" She looked at him innocently. "You're my boyfriend and it is your job to fulfill my every kissing desire. You should know that."

She leaned up to kiss him again, but he stopped her.

"You're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" He knew that she was being coy, but he didn't know why.

"Because of the Madison thing. Ronnie, please, tell me what's going on. I've been so worried all day long." He took a deep breath, then added quietly, "I thought you were going to break up with me."

Veronica stepped back a little so she could look at him. The playful expression on her face was replaced by one of concern.

"Oh, Logan," she breathed out. She knew that she needed to reassure him. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

"So, you don't think I cheated on you with Madison?" Logan was still flustered. He knew that he was missing something, he just didn't know what it was. She'd spent all day avoiding him, but she wasn't mad at him? She wasn't planning on leaving him?

"Of course not, Logan. It'd take more than some second-rate attempt to set you up by a twit the likes of Madison Sinclair, for me to leave you." She scowled at the thought of what Madison Sinclair was trying to do.

"How did you know? You were avoiding me all day. I thought I'd have to plead my case to you and try to convince you of my innocence. I figured I'd be begging for forgiveness for something I didn't even do." Relief was washing over him and the emotion of the day began to swell within him.

Veronica listened to his voice crack and watched as he fought back tears. She could've kicked herself for putting him through the uncertainty he'd been feeling. She grabbed his hands and walked him to the couch. When they sat down, she faced him and took a deep breath.

This was not something Veronica was used to. She did not open up to anyone, but she needed to be honest with Logan. She needed to tell him how much he meant to her. She couldn't risk hurting him and making him feel like he wasn't needed. As she slowly let out the breath, she looked into his eyes.

"First of all, Logan, I am so sorry and I wasn't avoiding you. Look, I know that there is no way that you'd intentionally hurt me. With all that we've been through together, not only lately, but over the last 5 years, I know that you wouldn't do that to me now." She was looking into his eyes trying to convey to him just how much she trusted him. She placed her hand on his cheek and repeated herself. "I know."

"Logan, you've spent so much time protecting me lately, both physically and emotionally. There is no way that you would go out of your way to try to hurt me after all that." She saw his lip tremble slightly as he blew out a breath.

"I know that you love me and I'll do everything I can to let you know that I love you, too. I need you. No one else matters." She wanted to lighten the mood, so she decided to play it a little over the top. She stood up and put her fists to her hips. "It's just me and you against the world."

It worked. Logan relaxed even more and began to laugh at her antics. "Plus, I'd never leave you...no matter what you do."

At his confused look, she continued, "I wouldn't leave you... I'd kill you, but I'd never leave you." They burst out laughing.

"Yeah, that's comforting." Logan rolled his eyes while still trying to catch his breath.  
Veronica was feeling like she had gotten through to Logan when he suddenly turned serious again.

"What?" Now she was afraid of what he would say. Something about his demeanor made her nervous.

"Ronnie, you've got to promise me that you won't do that again. I've been sick to my stomach all day, thinking that I had lost you. Where were you all day, anyway?"

"I was working on clearing your name. No one messes with my man and gets away with it!" She had spent a lot of time fine tuning her revenge skills over the last year and she planned to make sure that Madison paid for her sins.

"Your man, huh?" A smirk played across Logan's lips.

"Damn right, my man!" She smirked back at him and then leaned in to give him a kiss. When she pulled back, she wanted to fill him in on everything...well, almost everything.

"Look, I don't want you to ever feel uncertain about us again. I'm sorry that you thought I was avoiding you today. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I just didn't think about it." Veronica knew herself. When she was on a case, she had blinders on to everything else. That's exactly what had happened at school and why she hadn't seen or talked to Logan all day.

"The moment I saw that video, I knew it was a set up. I..." Veronica was cut off by Logan's voice.

"How, though? Even I thought it looked bad, and I was there when it actually happened."

"Well, besides what I've already told you...that I know you wouldn't do that to me, there is something else that tipped me off. Fortunately for me, I have been on the receiving end of your flirting and loving looks and touching." She blushed slightly at that last one.

"I know what you look like when you are truly engaged in an intimate moment with a girl. I know because I've seen the way you look at me and felt the way you touch me. The looks you were giving Madison and the way you touched her hair was not the same. I mean, what? Did she ask you to help her get a bug out of her hair or something?" She laughed at the meek look on Logan's face.

"A piece of fuzz, actually." He felt stupid for falling for Madison's tricks and angry at her for the attempted setup. Veronica couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course. Ahh, my man, ever the gentleman. Who would've known?" She was mocking him playfully, but there was truth in what she was saying. For a guy who was a true jackass, he really knew how to take care of the women in his life. When they weren't his number one target, he was actually pretty gracious. A fact that he tried to hide and did a decent job at around his vapid high school toadies.

"Anyway, I will tell you that I spent all day working on clearing your name and tomorrow, all will be well." She gave him a little wink. When he started to question her, she stopped him with a hand to his mouth.

"No questions. I will keep you in the loop from now on so that we don't have this kind of misunderstanding again, but this...this is more of a surprise. Think of it as an early Christmas present, and like with all presents, you don't get to know what it is until it's time to open it." He could tell that she was truly enjoying herself. The twinkle in her eyes, the raised eyebrow and the devilish grin she was trying to cover had given her away.

"At least tell me when this is going to go down so that I will be around and paying attention." Logan really just wanted any information out of her that he could get. He figured that by asking her something simple, he could wriggle more tidbits out of her. Unfortunately for him, she was a little to coy to fall for those tricks.

"Aw, how sweet, but no. Don't worry. I can tell you that you won't miss it when it does happen...as  
long as you are actually in school tomorrow. Besides that, sorry, can't help you," she sing-songed.

"Well, I guess I can live with that. As long as you are here, with me, I can live with a lot." He kissed her forehead. "Which, by the way, we've got some stuff to talk about."

Veronica raised a questioning eye at him. "What do you mean, we've got some stuff to talk about? What kind of stuff?"

"Well, first of all, have you talked to your dad about the apartments yet?" He and Veronica had talked about the pros and cons of the apartments they'd seen and had decided on their favorites.

"Yeah, he was going to contact them and find out how long it'll be before we can move in. What else do we need to talk about? You said stuff like there was more than just apartment talk."

"Well, yeah. I know things have been crazy and all, but I wanted to talk to you about going to Dick's Halloween party this weekend. I'd forgotten about it until he mentioned something to me at lunch today." Veronica didn't normally attend 09er parties and after finding out about the 'rape' he understood even more why she chose to steer clear.

She groaned. "Ugh, do I have to? You can go by yourself, you know? See, that's what's great about this whole trust thing. You can actually go to the party without me and I know that you'll be a good boy. Won't it be great?" She smiled, batted her eyes and tilted her head slightly.

Logan just rolled his eyes. "You can just straighten that head right out, little Missy. The point of me asking you to go to the party with me is you actually being with me. I don't care what we do, but we are going to be together, Veronica. We can stay home and watch 'Fright Night' on tv and pass out candy, if you want. Although, I've never been home on Halloween so I don't even know if we get trick-or-treaters here or not."

Veronica was quiet for a moment and Logan wasn't sure what was rolling around in her head. Finally, she looked up at him and smiled.

"No, we can go to the party, it'll be fine. We can always leave early if it goes the way most 09er parties do." She smirked at him.

"And what way is that?" He narrowed his eyes at her, waiting for the smart reply he knew was coming.

"Oh, you know. All Paris and Nicole, 'Simple Life'-style. You know, drunk, bimbo, stupid. I mean really, how many videos do you have to produce before it's considered a collection?" She wore a serious look on her face, masking the giggle that wanted to bubble out of her.

"You are just so cute, aren't you?" Logan said, just before jumping on her, and grabbing her sides to tickle her. She yelped at the shock of having him lunge at her and then begged him to stop.

When they settled down again, Logan pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for trying this party with me. I know it's not your idea of a good time. I promise, I won't leave you alone for a minute, okay? And, if it is as bad as you think it will be, then we'll just come back here and have our own party."

Veronica looked up at him in time to see his lips form into a smirk and when he knew she could see him, he waggled his eyebrows. She laughed and smacked his arm, but snuggled back into his embrace.

Logan was right. The party was not Veronica's idea of a fun time. She would do almost anything to avoid 09er parties. Unfortunately, Logan had always been big on parties. He had given up so much for her lately, and she didn't want him to have to give up anything else. She knew that she could just suck it up and deal with it for a night. She wanted him to know that she would sacrifice for him, like he had for her.

"Alright, Casanova, get your mind out of the gutter and let's get started on our homework before we get even further behind." She said as she started to shove him toward the front door where they'd left their book bags.

"Hey, now. I resemble that remark." Logan had a cheesy grin plastered across his face.

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The following morning, Veronica and Logan arrived at school and weren't surprised that there seemed to be even more people watching them in the parking lot. Even more people were whispering about them as they walked, hand in hand, into the school and to Veronica's first class.

After the video of Logan and Madison hit, no one saw Logan and Veronica together. They were sure that Logan had been messing around, that maybe it was a plot of Logan's, that Logan and Veronica were just pretending to be dating, that Veronica had known about Madison already and that they had a threesome going on. You name it, they thought it.

Seeing Logan and Veronica walking together, standing by each other, really threw people for a loop. They were watching to see what would happen next. They got their answer in first period when, again, the morning broadcast was interrupted.

This time, the interruption played out a little differently. The scene on the screen was of the girls bathroom and two girls talking. The camera angle showed the girls' backs, but because they were in front of the mirror, their faces were easily recognizable.

Once everyone realized that Madison was one of the girls, they sat up in their seats, knowing that they were witnessing part two of the Logan/Madison video they'd seen the day before. It was a chance to fill in some of the gaps in information that had been created the day before.

Only three people were not sitting on the edge of their seats. Madison's eyes had grown huge, remembering what her and her friend had been discussing and giggling about in that bathroom. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, readying herself for the onslaught of glares that she knew she would receive when the video ended.

Kimmie, the "other" girl had shrunk back into her seat as much as possible, trying her best to disappear from sight.

The last person who was not sitting on the edge of her seat was Veronica. She knew exactly what was coming. In fact, she is the one who had taped it after she blackmailed Kimmie into getting Madison to admit she set up Logan. She was completely relaxed and sitting back in her seat, her hands softly clasped on her desk. A sly smile graced her lips.

The school watched and listened as the girls spoke.

"He had no idea what was happening!" Madison screeched. Kimmie's giggle didn't seem out of place to anyone, but Veronica, who could hear the anxiety in her voice.

"Yeah, so do you think it'll work?" Kimmie was doing just enough to prod Madison along.

"Of course! I was totally convincing, don't ya think? It totally looked like we were having some secret tryst. What's even better, is that I used the excuse of supporting Logan and Veronica when I was actually breaking them up." She cackled and her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

"I'm sure when Veronica saw that video this morning, she assumed like everyone else, that Logan was cheating on her. Really, you haven't seen them together at all today, have you?" She wasn't really asking the question. She knew that they hadn't been seen together.

"Anyway, I was only helping to bring on the inevitable. What would a guy like Logan see in trailer trash like Veronica anyway? She's nothing. I mean, Duncan finally saw it, although it took him forever. I'm just so tired of Veronica getting everything that she doesn't deserve. What's so special about her anyway that the most powerful kids at this school are drawn to her. Ugh!"

When she was done with her tirade, Kimmie asked one more question, a question that Veronica had prompted her to ask. "So, what about Dick? I mean, you guys are dating. Don't you think you've ruined things with him by acting like you're sleeping with his best friend?"

Madison sighed. "If only it were that easy to get rid of Dick. What can I say, he's like a little puppy. He follows wherever I lead, even when I don't want him to. He does the same with Logan. He's just a spineless moron, but he's the only option for a boyfriend right now. Logan would be my first choice, but of course, he's temporarily lost his mind. Duncan would be a good choice too, but he's barely spent more than a second with any girl since Veronica. It's sad, really. Look at what one piece of trash has done to the best guys in our school. Hell, Troy was a great guy until she got her hooks into him...look at what she did to him."

"Well, I heard that he's been obsessed with her for years, even before they met." Kimmie added, knowing that Veronica was listening.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure that's what she'd want us to think! Anyway, Veronica is just a big waste of time, but soon, I won't have to look at her."

At that point, the girls had finished primping and left the bathroom. The tape ended and the Navigator broadcast continued. You could almost hear the collective breath being released by the entire student body after that tasty bit of gossip.

Logan's cell phone beeped indicating a message. It read simply:

'Like ur present?'

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	37. Chapter 37

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 37

A/N: The tide is about to change. Disclaimer: I don't own canon-type moments from their "after party"...don't want to give it away, but you'll know which scene I'm talking about. Also, not sure of when I'll post next. I'm going to be busy tomorrow afternoon and into the night. I may skip answering reviews again so that I can post tomorrow a.m.

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Things began to settle down at school after Madison was outed. She was banished by the 09ers, and even Dick didn't stick by her. Veronica felt slightly bad because she knew what it was like to have all of your friends turn their backs on you. Yet, when she thought about what Madison did and the fact that she used Logan to do it, Veronica knew that Madison deserved everything she got.

The only things Veronica really had to worry about were getting caught up on school work, what she was going to wear to the Halloween party and the fact that the Echolls', more specifically Aaron would be returning from the publicity tour soon.

Luckily, her father and her would be in their own apartment soon. Although she'd miss the constant contact with Logan, she wouldn't miss the interaction with Aaron. In fact, she almost wanted to avoid Aaron as much as she wanted to be with Logan...and that was saying a lot.

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Aaron and Lynn got home on Friday night, but it was late enough that everyone else was already in bed. Veronica would have to deal with Aaron for a while on Saturday, but her and Logan would be going to Dick's party that night. Then, Keith and Veronica would be moving into their own place the following week.

When Saturday morning rolled around, Veronica was up earlier than anyone else. Logan was a naturally late sleeper, Aaron and Lynn were sleeping in after their late flight and Keith was getting his first chance in a long time, to sleep in. He'd been working so hard with the FBI and the local authorities on Veronica's case, that he'd barely gotten much sleep.

Veronica was enjoying the quiet while sitting by the pool and dangling her legs in the water. Her eyes were closed and she laid her head back so that she could feel the sun on her entire face. She hadn't heard anyone come out of the house, but heard a voice just as someone stood blocking the sun from her face.

"Veronica, how are you doing?" Veronica spun around and tried to focus her eyes on Lynn's figure. She smiled at Lynn and the loving voice that Veronica had been so accustomed to when she used to hang out at Logan's.

"I'm good, Lynn. How are you? How was your trip?" Veronica was surprised when Lynn sat next to her and hung her legs in the pool, also. Lynn usually wasn't the 'kick-it by the side of the pool' type. She loved to be in and around the pool. Normally, though, she would be laying on one of the chaise lounges, not sitting unceremoniously on the side of the pool.

"It was good, you know as good as a publicity tour can be. Of course, it wasn't so good somewhere in the middle when we got a call from Logan about you." She raised a sympathetic eyebrow at the girl she'd always loved like a part of the family.

Veronica looked back at her bashfully. "Yeah, that wasn't fun."

"Look, I know that you and your dad are very close and that you and Logan have shared a lot recently, but it can be different talking to a woman about these things. If you'd like to talk about it, I'm here." Lynn didn't want to push too much, but she really wanted Veronica to have a woman to talk to about her experiences.

Lynn had experienced a lot in her life. Not only did she live with an abusive man, but being an actress, she'd had to deal with her own sleazy guys over the years. She'd handled some of the situations with more grace than others, but she'd been marked by them all. She knew that, although Veronica was a strong young woman, her experience with Troy would stay with her for a very long time. She also knew that the way women spoke to each other about their experiences was very different than the way a woman would speak to a man about those same experiences.

Veronica could see how genuine Lynn was being, but she didn't know what to say. She wasn't much of one to open up, at least not anymore. She used to be an open book. Over the last year, she'd become very adept at keep everything bottled up inside.

She had kept things from her dad as a way to make things easier on him. She knew that he worried about her and that he carried a lot of guilt about their current financial and social status.

With other people, she had learned that she couldn't count on them. If she slipped up and let someone in, that person could turn around the following day and use that information against her. She didn't allow herself to be vulnerable to that kind of betrayal again.

It had been so long since she'd had a female to really talk to. Lilly and her mother had been her confidants and she hadn't had either in a very long time. Wallace was great, but there were a lot of things she hadn't opened up to him about.

"That's really nice, Lynn. I guess I just don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that I am here for you if you ever need to vent a little." Lynn was being so patient and loving. Veronica wasn't really much of a people pleaser anymore, but at that moment, she felt like she needed to talk to Lynn in order to make Lynn feel better. She knew that Lynn wanted to help her and Veronica wanted Lynn to feel like she had.

Veronica figured she could just tell Lynn the facts of what had happened, just like she'd told her dad and the FBI. When she started speaking, though, she began to pour out her heart. She was surprised at some of the things coming out of her own mouth. The facts became secondary to her description of her feelings during the events that unfolded during her kidnapping.

She told Lynn everything from her hopes about the border patrol stopping them and her devastation when they didn't; to how truly scared and vulnerable she felt when she had to undress in front of Troy before the wedding. She even, through a massive blush, told her about picturing Logan waiting for her at the altar, then chanting his name as Troy attempted to seduce her. Then, about Logan swooping in and saving her from what she dreaded most.

Veronica didn't know when it had happened, but Lynn had wrapped an arm around her and had placed her other hand on top of her hand.

She was whispering and tears rolled down her cheeks when she told Lynn about the lingerie and the way Troy spoke to her and looked at her; the way he touched her. She hadn't told anyone those things. They, of course, knew the facts, but she hadn't told them about what his touch had actually felt like and the fear that his whispering words had incited in her.

Veronica was pouring out her heart to Lynn while sitting in the early morning breeze and she couldn't stop. She couldn't believe how hard it was to make herself stop talking...stop crying. Yes, Veronica Mars was a complete mess by the time she was done telling Lynn about what she'd gone through.

When Logan came into the living room, he saw his two favorite women sitting next to each other by the pool. He smiled at the scene until he noticed that Lynn had both of her arms wrapped tightly around Veronica, while she stroked the girl's blonde locks. Logan could see Veronica's body shaking, like she was sobbing in his mother's arms.

When he moved to open the door, his mother looked up. She held her hand out to stop him and he did just that. It wasn't necessarily his mother's hand that stopped him, but the look on her face and the tears in her own eyes as she held his girlfriend's small form.

He continued to watch them with deep concern and intrigue as to what they could be talking about. Had something happened that Logan didn't know about? His thoughts went to his father, but he knew that his dad was still asleep. Whatever had happened, it had seriously affected both of the ladies by the pool.

His desire was to go and fix it, to take care of Veronica, but he didn't. He respected the situation and waited them out, never taking his eyes off of them. He watched as Veronica's breathing slowed a little, as she wiped her eyes dry and as his mom gave her an extra squeeze. The two walked into the house and for the first time, Veronica noticed Logan standing there.

Although, she knew she was a mess and she was a little embarrassed that she'd been blubbering only a moment ago, she was happy to see him. He brought a comfort to her that she'd never known before. When she saw him, she just wanted to curl up in him and have his strong arms wrapped around her.

She walked over to him and that is exactly what happened. She took a deep breath and felt like she was home. With Logan, she was safe and loved and protected.

"So, I guess now is as good of a time as any to tell my mom that we're dating." Logan said loud enough for Lynn to hear him. Veronica laughed at his antics of 'breaking the news' to his mom.  
Lynn let out a little squeal. "Are you kidding? Oh, my prayers have finally been answered."

Logan and Veronica laughed at her reaction. Lynn looked at Logan with a serious face.

"Don't you let this one go, Logan. We've finally trapped her in our web and I want to keep her." She smiled softly at Veronica.

"Well, I'd better get upstairs and get dressed. I'll see you two before you go to the party tonight, okay?" They nodded and watched as she left with a huge smile on her face.

"Everything okay?" Logan had concern written all over his face.

"Yeah, just some girl talk. I'm fine, though. It was nice having a woman to talk to again. It's been a long time." Veronica said quietly.

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There was a knock on Veronica's bedroom door on Saturday night when she was getting dressed for the party.

"Who is it?" She called out as she was finishing her hair.

"It's Logan. You ready?" He was very anxious to see her. He had tried to find out what she was going to the party as, but she'd been reluctant to tell him. She wanted it to be a surprise. He, in turn, decided that he was going to keep his outfit a secret, too. He didn't really have a reason, only that they would reveal themselves to each other at the same time.

"Almost! So, what are you wearing?" She yelled back.

"Nope, a deal's a deal. You show me yours, I'll show you mine." He smirked until he heard the distinct sound of a throat clearing behind him. He closed his eyes and grimaced, then turned slowly and opened his eyes to see one Keith Mars standing with his arms crossed over his chest and a raised eyebrow. Keith knew what the boy was talking about, he'd heard some of their arguments about revealing their outfit choices to each other. It was still fun to mess with him.

Logan's face was one of nervous embarrassment and Keith tried to cover his chuckle with a cough.

"Uh, um, Mr. Mars. Hi. I, um, I was talking about our costumes, not...anything else." He swallowed audibly.

"Yes, Logan, I know. Still fun to make you sweat, a little." He chuckled as he continued down the hall. "By the way, nice makeup."

Keith's loud laughter could be heard through the halls of the house as Logan blew out a breath and chuckled to himself.

"What's got dad's funny bone?" Logan heard through the door.

"Oh, nothing. He's just enjoying scaring the crap out of me. I'm pretty sure it's one of his favorite pastimes."

"Hey, just be happy that he hasn't brought out the gun cleaning kit over coffee with you or something." She giggled at her father's charades. She knew that he was harmless to anyone who wasn't a true threat to her. He did love to scare the boys, though.

Veronica was taking one last look in the floor-length mirror. She was ready to open the door, but just wanted to make sure she had all of the final touches done. As she stared at herself, she hoped that Logan would like it.

Veronica had really agonized over what to wear to the party. It wasn't the same agony she went through before when she was getting dressed for an 09er party. She wasn't just concerned about what would make her look good, or what Lilly thought made her look hot.

This time she felt like she was entering the lion's den. She was going to be on guard the entire night, starting with her outfit.

She wasn't one to dress up for Halloween, anyway. During her pep squad days, she would have dressed up, but not since she'd had her eyes opened to the ways of the world. She was committed to going to the party and dressing up. She had told Logan that she would go and she wanted to go for him. She also felt that if she went to the party and didn't fully participate, she'd be making some sort of statement. Veronica wasn't trying to make a statement, she just wanted Logan to have a good time with his friends and his girlfriend.

The key, she thought, was finding a way to participate in the festivities without leaving her vulnerable to even more 09er harassment. Satisfied that her costume would be pretty harmless when it came to the 09ers, but hoping that it would spark some recognition with Logan, she had finally settled on a choice.

"Veronica, come on already. I'm dying out here." Logan whined, like a child who'd been kept from his favorite toy for too long.

"Keep your shirt on, I'm coming." Veronica swung the door open wide and gaped at the sight in front of her.

"I guess I was too late," Veronica smirked as she looked at a shirtless Logan, who was looking her up and down.

"Okay, no one is going to believe that we didn't plan this," Logan said as he laughed at the two of them. "But, I gotta tell you. My memory didn't even do this justice."

Logan growled, "You are hot!"

"Well, the shirtless Logan look." Veronica said as she pointed at his chest. "A very good choice, if I say so myself."

She was trying not to blush at the fact that they were openly talking about how attracted they were to each other.

"You like that, huh?" He moved to nuzzle her neck, but she stopped him.

"Uh, I don't want that green and orange stuff all over my face." Veronica was referring to the face paint that he wore.

Logan had pulled back just enough to whisper into her hair, "and where would you like it, Miss Mars?" He smirked at her and she couldn't contain the blush that finally took over her entire face and neck.

"Let's get going before you get yourself into trouble," Veronica said as she tugged him along.

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When Veronica and Logan walked into the party, they instantly became the center of attention. It wasn't because of anything they had done, just the mere fact that they had shown up and were dressed in coordinating costumes.

Everyone looked at them and saw the soccer player and the soccer fan. That is, everyone, but Duncan. Duncan saw what no one else did.

Duncan saw Veronica dressed in her old soccer uniform complete with pigtails and knee socks. He saw the 12-year old girl that Logan had referred to as 'hot'. Logan was obviously dressed as a soccer fan. The boy had colored his hair and painted his face with the green and orange colors that made up Veronica's uniform colors. He was without a shirt, but had painted a big '12' on his chest, which had been Veronica's number.

As he watched them, Duncan was still shocked that they were a couple, yet he wasn't shocked at all. They seemed to fit so perfectly together.

Logan was his best friend, but they were so different. It didn't seem possible that the Veronica who had been so perfectly suited for Duncan, was now perfectly matched with Logan. He released a long breath and then gave them a tight smile before walking out of the room.

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Logan and Veronica stayed at the party for a while, but not long. It wasn't because people were being rude to them and it wasn't because Veronica was so uncomfortable that she wanted to go home.

"Logan, it was your idea to come to this party. You want to leave now? Only an hour after we got here?" Veronica didn't know what had gotten into him. He seemed to be having a fine time.

"Yeah, I want to leave now." She narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't seem upset, but he seemed anxious...excited? She didn't know.

Logan saw the confusion written across her face and chuckled a little. "I just decided that I'd rather be with just you. I figured we could sneak into the pool house without anyone knowing we were home yet. Maybe catch some of that 'Fright Night' programming. No one's expecting us for several hours yet." He shrugged and looked at her sheepishly.

"Really?" Logan saw the doubt in her eyes.

"Yeah, really? Why not?"

"Well, it's just odd that you'd want to leave a party with all of your friends to go veg out with just me. It's a little quiet for your style, don't you think?" Veronica remembered Logan's love for parties. Even when he and Lilly were going out and he was certain that he'd be getting sex at the end of the night, they would still stay at the party as long as possible. Worse case scenario, they would disappear into one of the guest rooms, but be back, partying with their friends again an hour later.

Logan smiled as he wrapped her in his arms. "That's because I've never had a better way to spend my time. Being with you, though, is better than any party, better than any drug I could take...just better."

Veronica's features softened. "I could totally get used to this."

"Then get used to it, cause you're stuck with me!" Logan smirked down at her. "Now, get a move on. We're wasting time."

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They were in the pool house and had gotten cleaned up. Logan was happy to get all of the war paint off of him and certainly didn't mind when Veronica helped by using a washcloth to clean his chest and arms. He had to make himself calm down several times after his imagination transported him into a shower scene where Veronica continued to caress away the offending paint.

They made themselves comfortable on the bed while they watched some b-rated horror flicks. The movies were so ridiculous that they actually started to make bets on who the next victim would be and how they would die. They had determined that if a couple was having sex...that was the mark of death. They might as well kill themselves right then and there because they were definitely the next to go. The bet would consist of which one of the couple would be killed first. Would it be while they were separated? Maybe when one of them went into the bathroom, while the other relaxed in post-coital bliss.

It was a silly game, but they were silly movies, not scary at all. At one point, when Veronica was being especially obnoxious while celebrating her victory in choosing the latest victim, Logan pounced on her. He pretended that he was stabbing her, which had been one of the movie favorites. In reality, he was tickling her mercilessly.

Veronica flipped over onto her back in an attempt to fight off her attacker and she attacked back. After several minutes of horseplay, they were both exhausted and panting for air. They were laying on their backs with their arms spread, looking at the ceiling.

"What's that?" It was Veronica whose intereste had piqued.

"What's what?"

"That white wire coming from the fan and that," she said pointing to the center of the fan.

They both stood on the bed and took a closer look at the fan. Their eyes followed the white wire to the wall where it disappeared behind a book case.

Looking at each other with confusion, they went over to the bookcase and slid it apart, revealing a bank of tv monitors and electronic equipment.

"What the-" Logan started to say, but stopped when he saw Veronica reaching forward and pushing a button on the system. The monitors came to life and they were shocked and a little confused about what they saw on the screens. Veronica moved back toward the bed and Logan watched as she came into view on the monitor.

"Oh my Gosh." Veronica gasped. "You didn't know about this, did you?"

"No, no way. I swear." He was pleading with her to believe him.

"I believe you, Logan. I didn't think you did, especially if your reaction was any indication." Veronica walked back to him and pushed another button.

"Aw, that's you." Veronica said as they viewed a young Logan standing on the beach and waving to the camera. He grabbed his surfboard and ran out to the water with three other boys around his age.

"Hey, this was my first surfing competition. It was held at Gold Coast. I actually came in second...which wasn't bad considering it was my first competition." Logan shrugged. He was smiling as he remembered that day. It was a great day. His mom and dad were there to support him and he did really well in the competition. It was one of the few days that he ever felt like his dad was actually proud of him. They all got along really well that day.

"Look at how cute you..." Veronica was cut off when the image blinked and then a new image came on the screen.

"Oh, oh, oh, Aaron. Yes, yes, harder, harder," came a distinctly familiar female voice.

The camera angle changed and Logan and Veronica saw Madison Sinclair's face appear on the screen.

"Logan!" Veronica gasped.

"Holy shit!" It was the only response that Logan could muster at the moment.

"That was before she colored her hair. This has to be at least six months old." Veronica knew she was stating the obvious, but continued anyway. "Logan, your dad had sex with a minor...and then recorded it. He could get into major trouble for this, this is sick."

"I know, I know." Logan wrapped Veronica in his arms, instinctively wanting to protect her. From what, he didn't know.

"What are we going to do about this, Logan?" Veronica knew what she wanted to do, but this was Logan's dad and she wanted to get an idea of what he was thinking.

"I don't know...we've got to do something, though. I think," he paused not knowing if he was going to be suggesting the right thing, "I think we should tell your dad about this. He'd know what to do."

That was exactly what Veronica had been thinking.

"Somebody in here?" Logan and Veronica looked at each other with wide eyes just before they saw the owner of the voice come into the room.

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Oopsies! Was that a cliffie?

Adja: Well, although I am not the Richard fan that you are, I hate Madison with a burning passion. And, when the stories are written good and show a redemptive side of Dick, then I can get into them. Oh, Logan cuddling? Absolutely hot!

AJzkitten69: I'm so glad I could help you get a good night's sleep. So sorry I couldn't give you the whole anvil route, but I hope you like the extra jabs.

alecygoodness22: ok, so you got a little more indepth than I did. She is taken care of, just not with as much detail as you would have written. :-) Remember, I usually only develop characters and write them if they further the LoVe. Otherwise, I don't have much use for them. I know, I know. Hard-Butt!

beatlestephchick: True...as long as they deal with there problems a little better than in canon. :-)

copperboom321: Well, I hope you liked the way V dealt with Madison. There's a little of our old Veronica. Oh, and don't feel bad for Dick. I'd feel bad if he was still with Madison. :-)

hulahula551: ok, that scene from "A Trip To The Dentist" is truly a classic. RT totally hit the nail on the head there and I absolutely wanted to pay homage.

jennaml2709: Really! Is there any redeeming quality about Madison? I can't think of a single one.

lagurlroks: Well, unlike canon, I really feel like the characters should have a chance to learn and grow. With everything these two kids have been through, they trust each other more than they did in canon. I hope you enjoyed the outcome with Madison.

Literati and naley forever: I guess I can forgive you for your brevity...for now. As long as you make up for it next time. lol Oh, and just as a matter of record, I firmly believe that the scene from "A Trip To The Dentist" when Logan stands with V against all of his friends has got to be one of VM's best scenes EVER.

Lorelei Candice Black: Why, thank you. (blushing, bats eyes...giggles)

LoVeElle: I agreed with everything you said. Madison is a total bottom-dweller and this chapter takes an extra little shot at her. You know, kick her while she's down. That's my motto. :-) And, yes, when I write for Logan and Veronica, I actually allow them to learn from their mistakes and grow...unlike RT. & Yes, I'm pretty sure that Madison is just plain evil. Too funny that you knew it was that little witch immediately. Just goes to show how horrible she is.

Mel7: yeah, see I believe that there is a way to write them where they have problems to deal with, but don't have massive issues within...in other words, they don't have to break up or run out on each other all of the time.

RBDFAN: Na, Na-Na, Na, Na...Na! (BTW, hope you enjoyed your vacation!)

SaraLyleth: Well, apparently it wasn't just you talking and Veronica was listening to you. Now, where we differ is Dick. I have always had my issues with him stemming back to V's rape. The only time/place I can really like him is in fics where he goes through some serious redemption. I do agree with you on the Logan/Keith thing, too. Logan may have done some stupid and mean stuff to V, but it was always right in her face. There was no hiding it. If he was going to beat up her car, she knew who had done it. Unlike the other shady things she had to deal with in her relationships. Not that he's perfect, but by the 3rd Season, you'd think Papa Mars would have gotten a little attached. How many times was Logan there to save V's butt?

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Obviously NEVER! Because she is a moron! Oh, and the code makes perfect sense. :-) You just have to WANT it. Lol

Vmfan387: Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it/them. And, you were right. Veronica should and does know that Logan wouldn't hurt her.

VMLoVeR87: So glad you found the story again. Hey, at least you got to catch up, huh? And, yes to all of the things you said about Madison. Ultimately, I blame her for a lack of S4...heeheehee

XoSethCohenxO: So, I see you have fallen under my spell. Can you feel the effects working on you as you read this?

xosummerxo: Yes, we had to get back at Madison. Another jab at her coming. Hope you're finding the story easier.

XXspuffster101XX: Look at you all right on the money. And, no I didn't get as detailed in the canon MOTW's, but I did take an additional shot at Madison in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.


	38. Chapter 38

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 38

A/N: So, this is a lot shorter than my normal update, but I wanted to stop it where I did, so sorry! Also, skipped the replies to the reviews just so I could get the chapter out. I'm leaving in about 15 minutes for the rest of the day.

A/N2: There were so many great reviews already! They spanned across the board so I know I'm going to disappoint a few of you. Hopefully you like the outcome anyway.

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As soon as Aaron saw the two kids sitting in front of his bank of monitors, his eyes narrowed dangerously. No one was supposed to know about the video equipment. He was about to lose control, but when he opened his mouth to begin yelling, another voice was heard.

"Come here, Luvah." It was as if God had pressed the pause button on the world. All three of them stopped dead in their tracks. No one spoke, no one moved a muscle until the next sound filled the room. It was a loud, carefree laughter that Veronica and Logan knew well.

They turned to the monitors just in time to see the vision of Lilly having sex with someone. Before Aaron could reach the system to turn it off, Lilly rolled over and Aaron's face came on the screen. He looked directly into the camera and smiled sleazily.

Veronica gasped. 'Lilly and Aaron? When did that happen?'

She looked at the date on the corner of the screen, 'October 1, 2003. She was having an affair with Aaron right before she died.'

"What the hell?" Logan began in a confused tone, but ended with hatred dripping from his words. "You slept with my girlfriend!"

"Now, Logan, let's not..." Aaron began, but was interrupted by Veronica's voice.

"That's it, isn't it? She told me she had a secret, a really big one." Then Veronica had an epiphany. She sucked in a breath out of surprise and her eyes widened. "Oh, you."

"You killed her." Veronica's voice came out as a whisper and her eyebrows were knitted together. Her insides were vibrating, she could feel the truth in her soul.

Immediately following Lilly's death, there were many possibilities as to who her murderer could be. Through everything that happened in the investigation, Veronica never felt like they had found the murderer. When each of the Kane's alibi's were in question, she still didn't think that they were guilty. Even Celeste, as evil as she is, couldn't have killed Lilly.

Veronica just knew, at that moment, that Aaron was her murderer. She didn't have real proof yet, but she wanted to see his reaction. She knew that she would see the truth in his reaction.

The blood drained out of Logan's face as he listened to Veronica's accusation and watched his father's response. The way his father's face reddened as much as Logan's had paled, the way his eyes shifted when Veronica said it and the tenseness immediately present in his jaw were all indications that Veronica had guessed correctly.

"Shut up, you little Bitch!" Aaron said as he suddenly flew at Veronica, knocking her and the table she was standing by down to the floor and landing on top of her. The fall had taken her breath away and she didn't even realize that Aaron was choking her until Logan began pulling and struggling to remove his father from her.

Logan knew his father was a violent man, he'd felt proof of that violence on many occasions over the years. He'd never once, though, seen his father be violent with a woman. His father had always found physical violence against women abhorrent. Yes, his father was selfish and an attention whore and he screwed around. He was a pig when it came to women, but he was never violent with them.

Logan had once wondered why his father only beat him, not Trina and not Lynn. He finally figured out that his father was trying to teach him a lesson in manhood and he'd always made comments about toughening up his son. If that was the reason for his violence, then Logan could understand that his father didn't feel the need to toughen up Lynn or Trina. They were women and they weren't supposed to be tough...physically, at least.

When Logan saw his father fly at Veronica, it was like his world was moving in slow motion. He was in shock, first from finding out that Lilly had sex with his father, that his father had killed her and then at seeing Aaron's anger turned on the girl that Logan loved more than anything. He was reeling and his mind was not able to process everything that was happening. What seemed like hours for Logan, was actually only about three seconds.

"Ver-on-ica!" He screaming as he followed her and Aaron's path to the floor, jumping on his father and trying anything he could to keep him from hurting Veronica.

Aaron reared back and flung Logan off of him, sending him sliding across the floor. Aaron got up to go after Logan as he was quickly recovering from the fall. Aaron had forgotten about Veronica long enough for her to catch her breath. She got up and jumped on Aaron's back just before he was able to reach Logan.

Aaron stumbled, but regained his footing quickly. Veronica's fierce, but she's tiny and physically no match for Aaron. He spun around roughly, making her slip a little and her legs loosen their grip. He took the opportunity to grab her arms and pull her off of him. Then he punched her squarely in the face and she flew backwards into a cabinet filled with expensive collectibles and nic-nacks. The shelves came crashing down with her and her body slumped lifelessly onto the ground.

Not once, in all of the beatings that Aaron had bestowed on Logan, had Logan ever fought back. He'd always just taken what was sent his way. He would have, again, if Veronica hadn't been there. He felt a rage against his father greater than any he'd ever before. He was sure he was going to kill Aaron.

Logan would do anything to protect Veronica and he knew that she would do the same for him. With no chance of coming out unscathed, she had jumped on Aaron in hopes of protecting Logan.  
Aaron turned back to Logan just in time to see a fist flying straight at him. The hit was hard, harder than he'd expected, and he flew to the ground. If the circumstances were different, he might have actually been proud of Logan. Being on the receiving end, instead just enraged him more.

"I'm going to kill you, you Bastard!" Logan screamed as he landed on his father, alternating between right and left punches. His rage was uncontrollable and he was swinging away with all of his might.

Even from a subordinate position under Logan, Aaron was still quite strong. He bucked up and pushed at Logan and was able to throw him back. Both of them stood from the floor, ready for the continuing battle.

"Yeah, that was a nice sucker punch, Logan. Let's see what you can do when I'm actually paying attention." Aaron was taunting him, motioning with his hands for Logan to approach.

Logan took a swing at Aaron, but it was blocked and Aaron retaliated with a hit of his own. They fought viciously for a couple of minutes, then Aaron shoved Logan back with all of his might. Logan was barely able to stay standing, but refused to give in and leave Veronica vulnerable to his father's wrath.

With Logan's rage still boiling over, he wasn't thinking straight. He charged Aaron and Aaron swiftly side-stepped him. He used Logan's momentum, wrapping his arms around the boy's back and thrusting him toward the glass doors of the pool house.

Meanwhile, Keith and Lynn, who had been near the back doors in the house, were shocked to hear screaming coming from the pool house. They began to run toward it, but Keith stopped  
when he heard the sounds of glass shattering and objects being flung around the room. He turned to Lynn and looked at her sternly.

"Lynn, you have to go back into the house and call the police, okay?" Doubt flashed across her face quickly. She didn't want to leave Keith alone and she was afraid of what could be happening in the pool house.

"Lynn!" Keith shouted at her to get her attention. "You have to go call 911 immediately."

Lynn finally turned and did what she was told, rushing back into the house.

Keith drew his gun and entered the pool house just in time to catch a badly beaten Logan, who was practically sailing through the air at him. Keith's gun was ripped out of his hand at the shear force with which Logan had hit him.

He looked down, horrified at the bruised and bloody boy in his arms. He could see the relief that flooded Logan's eyes when he saw that Keith was there.

"Veronica," Logan said as he passed out. Seeing Keith there had allowed Logan to give in as the pain and exhaustion took over.  
Keith let him gently fall to the ground. Aaron, knew that Keith was experienced at defending himself, and that he'd only have one real shot with Keith. He rushed Keith before he could focus his full attention on Aaron.

The men went tumbling out of the door and onto the concrete surrounding the pool. They wrestled around for awhile until they fell into the water. When they rose from the water, Aaron had his hands around Keith's throat. He held him at an angle that didn't allow Keith a chance to get a good footing on the bottom of the pool, simultaneously choking and drowning Keith at the same time.

Keith was beginning to lose the fight, but heard a loud noise just before things went black.

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	39. Chapter 39

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 39

DISCLAIMER: I reference a Mac line, although I use it for V.

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When Veronica woke up, she had a pounding headache and it took a couple of minutes for her vision to clear enough to take in her surroundings. The lights were dimmed with only a couple of small lights shining in the room.

'Okay, definitely a hospital room. Got that much, but why? Was I in a car accident? No, I don't think so.' She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath as she was trying to remember what events had led her to waking up in that hospital room.

"Hey, Supafly, you're awake." Wallace was speaking softly, which Veronica's head greatly appreciated.

"Yeah, I'm awake, but why wasn't I?" She was surprised at how dry her throat was and she tried to clear it.

Wallace poured a cup of water from a jug that had been placed on the tray next to her bed. He held it up to her mouth and let Veronica drink from the straw. She motioned to let him know that she was done and then nodded her head to show her gratefulness.

"Well, you were in the pool house at Logan's..." he didn't get any further before Veronica interrupted him.

"Logan, where's Logan?" She panicked and sprung into a sitting position. Or, at least she tried to. Her head was throbbing and pain shot through it at the sudden motion. Her body went limp and she fell back into her bed as she whimpered.

"Are you okay?!" Wallace was worried. He'd never seen Veronica Mars show signs of weakness in any form. Even if most people wouldn't consider this weakness, he knew she would.

Veronica just groaned in response while she held her head with both hands.

"Logan." It was one softly-spoken word, but Wallace knew she was asking where he was and if he was alright. He understood why she would be asking considering everything that had happened.

"Actually...if you'd look to your right, you'd see him." Veronica turned her head quickly, surprised that Logan had just stood there silently while she wondered where he was.

She frowned when she didn't see him standing by her bed. Then, just before she asked Wallace, again, where Logan was, she saw him. Tears filled her eyes when she realized that he was the other patient in her room.  
"Oh, no." She whispered. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah, he was beaten up pretty badly, but he'll be okay." Wallace reached down and hugged Veronica gently in an attempt to comfort, but not cause any additional pain.

"Well, what happened? The last thing I remember is jumping on Aaron's back because he was going after Logan."

"So, he is the one who beat Logan up, huh? We kind of thought so, but we weren't sure." Wallace slowly shook his head, confirming a piece of the puzzle that they had not been able to put together yet.

"Well, who did you think did it? Me?" Veronica asked sarcastically. The last thing she remembered, the pool house only consisted of her, Logan and Aaron. If Aaron didn't beat Logan up, then it would have to have been her.

"We didn't know if something had happened and your dad had beaten him up. We didn't know if something had happened between you and Logan that your dad walked in on and what role Aaron played exactly." Wallace was not a wealth of information. In fact, no one was at that point. They'd had very little to go on and just had to piece information together as they went along and waited for everyone to wake up to fill in the missing information.

"Dad? He was there? When did he get there? And you thought he beat up Logan? Geez, what did you think that Logan had done to me? Sheesh. Anyway, if dad was there, why didn't he tell you what happened?" Her head was hurting even more now. It seemed like it should have been very simple. They shouldn't be guessing at a whole lot of information. Sure, her and Logan were out, but obviously Aaron and her dad had been there. Even if Aaron had lawyered up, her dad should have been able to fill in a lot of the information they were looking for.

"Uh, yeah. Your dad was there. He didn't really have a chance to tell the authorities what happened." Wallace's gaze shifted away from Veronica's and she couldn't understand why he seemed so uncomfortable all of the sudden.

"That makes sense. I'm sure there were probably police and aide personnel and media all buzzing around. He must be down at the Sheriff's Department sorting it all out. Otherwise, I know he'd be perched on the edge of my bed waiting for me to wake up." She smiled a little to herself. Normally she, at least, would have chuckled at her own comments, but a smile was all she could manage.

"Actually, V..." Wallace started, but stopped when the quiet of the room was interrupted by a groan.

"Ronnie," Logan mumbled, then groaned again. Veronica's eyes got huge as she tried to get into a position to see him better.

"Go over there please, Wallace. I don't want him to feel alone when he wakes up and doesn't see anyone by his bedside." Wallace did as she said and rounded her bed. He stood between the two hospital beds so that Logan could see him when he finally did open his eyes.

Wallace watched as Logan's eyes slowly fluttered open. He blinked several times and tried to focus on any one thing.

Logan felt stiff all over as he tried to wake up and figure out where he was. Then, as his vision cleared, he saw Wallace standing next to him in the darkened room. He lifted an eyebrow questioningly.

"How ya doing, Logan?" Wallace asked just as softly as when he'd first spoken to Veronica. The confusion written across both of their faces when they woke up hinted at the fact that he should take it easy with them.

Logan swallowed hard, trying to get past the feeling of cotton in his mouth. "Veronica?"

He was almost afraid to ask the question. He knew that he must have passed out. When he did, Aaron was still going strong with a very defenseless Veronica unconscious in the room.

"I'm right here, Logan. Are you okay?" Logan tilted his head to see past Wallace and his gaze landed on Veronica laying in another hospital bed. He was relieved and terrified all at the same time. Relieved that she was actually there and talking to him. Terrified of what could have happened and of what injuries she might have, given the fact that she was also in the hospital.

"Oh, Logan!" Veronica gasped when she saw his face straight on.

"Are you okay?" She asked again, allowing the tears already present in her eyes to fall freely.

"Oh, Baby, I'm fine." It wasn't completely true. In the couple of minutes he'd been awake, he'd already started to notice that the feeling of stiffness was rapidly being replaced by that of pain everywhere. He knew from experience that the more his body woke up, the more pain he'd feel.

Logan wanted nothing more at that moment than to comfort his girlfriend. Nothing was going to stop him, either. He pulled back the thin hospital blanket and tried to sit up.

"No, Logan, don't!" Veronica was so worried about him being hurt more. "You need your rest!"

"No, actually, I need my Ronnie." He tried to plaster a lecherous smirk over the pain that showered his face.

"Wallace, mind helping a guy out?" Wallace reached over to him and let Logan steady himself by grabbing onto Wallace's arm.

He was moving excruciatingly slowly, but he finally made it to Veronica. She had moved herself over and was holding open her blanket for him to climb in.

Wallace was amazed at watching them. They had become so comfortable with each other in such a short amount of time, both physically and emotionally.

Logan had ignored his own pain because he could tell that she needed his comfort. Veronica, in turn, had opened her bed to him, no questions asked, ready to give and receive the comfort she knew they both needed. Wallace watched as they melted into one another, not in a sexual way, but in such an emotionally intimate manner. Wallace actually wondered if he should leave. Just as he was going to walk out and give them some privacy, Logan cleared his throat.

"So, what happened, Wallace? The last thing I remember is my dad hitting Veronica and her crashing into a bunch of shelves and getting knocked out. Then, in the middle of my fight with my da...Aaron, he sent me flying into Mr. Mars. I think he was just coming into the pool house. I don't remember anything else." Logan felt Veronica tense at the mention of her crashing into the shelves and passing out. He just held her tighter, letting her know that they were both there, both okay.

"Well, like I was telling V before you woke up, the authorities don't know a whole lot yet. Or, at least they didn't when I last heard. It's been a little while since then, though. They may know more by now, I can go call if you'd like." Logan thought that it seemed like a good idea. He wanted to know everything he could about what had happened after he was out.

Veronica, on the other hand, pinned Wallace with her stare. "Hold it right there, buddy."

She noticed the way that Wallace tensed and shifted his gaze from her again before he spoke, "Uh, yeah?"

"You know more than you are letting on. What is it?" She may not have known Wallace for all that long, but they'd spent a lot of time together. They were each other's only real friend until Logan came along and basketball practice started up. Veronica could tell that he was hiding something.

"Tell us everything you know. What happened to Aaron, where's Lynn...and why didn't my dad set everyone straight about who hit Logan?" Logan's eyebrows knitted together. He knew he'd missed something while he was still out, he just didn't know what.

"Well, Lynn is at the Sheriff's Department, answering as many questions as she can for them." Wallace figured he'd start with the safest of the questions.

"Why? What does my mom have to do with anything? She wasn't even there." Wallace should have known that there were no safe questions when it came to the events of the night."

"Okay, back up a second. First things, first. You two are going to be fine. They said that they are going to release you tomorrow morning. They just needed to wait until you woke up and they'll do a quick check up. They said that V had a nice little concussion going for her and Logan, you've got some bruised ribs and are just nice and sore all over. You've also got a couple stitches on that cut above your eye, but you should be feeling better in a couple of weeks."

"In fact, you two would have spent the night in beds in the E.R., if it hadn't been for the paparazzi. The hospital had to move you into a private room in order to calm the chaos."

"Huh, I thought that feeling was familiar," Logan said as he rubbed his side gingerly. "Now, Wallace...what about my mom."

Wallace took a deep breath and knew that he couldn't avoid the topic any longer. "Look, I don't know how to tell you this and I was hoping I wouldn't have to. I was hoping Mrs. Echolls would be here before I had to explain any of this."

He had a hopeless look on his face as he looked into Logan and Veronica's eyes. "It's bad, guys, really bad."

"Suspense effectively built here, Wallace. Spill it." Veronica wasn't being curt, she just knew that they needed to know what was happening.

Wallace took another deep breath and spoke as quietly and quickly as he could. "Your dad came into the pool house in the middle of Aaron and Logan fighting, he started fighting with Aaron, Lynn grabbed your dad's gun off the floor and shot Aaron, he died in surgery." Wallace had shifted his gaze away from the stares that were boring holes into him.

He looked back at his best friend and her boyfriend, a boy who was quickly becoming his friend, also. He could see them trying to process what he'd said and he watched as realization washed over them. "Sorry, man."

"Oh, Logan," Veronica had tears in her eyes as she turned to comfort him. She caressed the side of his face softly.

"Your Dad." It came out as a whisper. She didn't really know what else to say. So much had been revealed about Aaron Echolls in the last few hours and it was all too much to understand.

It would have been difficult just dealing with one new fact about him. Knowing that Aaron had sex with underage girls would have sent them reeling. Instead, things just kept piling up. It just so happened that at least one of those underage girls was his son's girlfriend. Then, as icing on the cake, Aaron recorded his sexcapades in the family pool house. Not to be topped, he then decided to kill Lilly, girlfriend and best friend extraordinaire. Lastly, the display of violence that he turned on Veronica and Logan had shown that his actions against Lilly were not some sort of twisted accident.

Veronica watched as Logan's eyes misted over, but he wouldn't let the tears fall. She laced her fingers with his and squeezed, trying to give him her strength.

"What about my mom? Is she ok?" Aaron was up for "Worst Husband of The Year"Award, yet Logan knew that shooting and killing someone, especially your own husband, had to have been difficult for his mother.

"Yeah, no, she's fine," Wallace said quickly, then added, "She just had to give her statement to the cops and answer their questions.

"Actually, that's why I'm here. Your mom arranged for me to be. She didn't want you two waking up alone, wondering what had happened. She made sure that you two were kept together no matter what."

"Lamb let her arrange all of that with her one phone call?" Veronica knew that she shouldn't be surprised. They were talking about the Lynn Echolls.

"Yeah, she's not under arrest. She drove herself to the station and made her calls on the way there. Her attorney is the one who arranged most of the details, anyway. She called him first and he met her at the Sheriff's Department.

Wallace was hoping that would be enough information for the moment. He didn't want to continue the discussion because he knew that it was only going to get worse.

"Well, you two look exhausted and this is a lot to take in right now. Why don't you guys get some rest and I'll pick you up in the morning and take you home," he said hopefully.

He turned to leave, although he knew he wouldn't actually being going anywhere. He needed to make sure that they fell asleep. If they turned on the television, there was too much of a chance that they would hear all of the details that Wallace was keeping close to the vest.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Wallace's lucky night. He was stopped by the one thing he was truly hoping to avoid.

"What about my dad? Is he with Lynn?" He heard his best friend's voice.

Although Veronica knew that wild horses wouldn't keep her father away from her bedside, she also knew that he would want to take care of Lynn after such an ordeal. Since Veronica was in the capable hands of the hospital, Wallace and Logan, he would feel better about being away in order to watch over Lynn. She loved her dad for his decency and his chivalrous ways.

Veronica had never seen a black person pale. She'd never actually thought about it until she watched her best friend's face do just that.

At that exact moment, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and then looked down to see the goose bumps forming on her arms. There was a lump in her throat large enough to choke on and she lost the ability to speak.

Veronica took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, hoping that when she saw Wallace again, she would realize that she'd completely misread him. Unfortunately, that isn't what she saw when she reopened her eyes. She wasn't comforted by his warm smile, and she wasn't reassured by the laughter usually present in his eyes.

Then she remembered something he'd said. "Wait, why isn't Lynn under arrest? She killed Aaron because of a fight with my dad? Isn't that excessive force just for a fight? It doesn't make sense that she wasn't arrested. It was just a fight, right?" Veronica wasn't wishing Lynn was arrested, she was actually very grateful to Lynn, but she didn't understand.

"What's going on, Wallace?" It was Logan's deep, concerned voice that cut through the confusion.

Wallace looked at the floor for a moment. He didn't know how to continue. How do you break your best friend's heart?

He had to fight back his own tears, but he knew he had to stay strong for what was coming and for Veronica. He lifted his head and held Veronica's gaze. He looked at her with a strange combination of fierce strength, determination and gentle compassion.

"V, your dad isn't with Mrs. Echolls right now. The reason that she shot Logan's dad was because of a little more than a fight. He was trying to kill your dad." Wallace knew that Veronica's natural instinct was to ask questions and he could see them written all over her face. "Aaron was drowning and choking him at the same time."

"Uhm," Veronica whimpered. There were so many thoughts flying through her already aching head, but there was one repeating thought that she finally voiced.

"Where. Is. He?" She was staring at Wallace with an intensity that let him know she would not be put off any longer. She wasn't mad at him, she knew that he was trying to save her feelings, but she was irritated. She just needed the bottom line, no more slow-bleeding the wound. Her father had been and still was the biggest part of her life and she needed real answers about him.

"He's here. He..." Wallace was cut off by Veronica's abrupt interruption.

"He's here? Where? Take me to him." She began to get out of the bed, holding her head through the throbbing and wincing in pain. She didn't care though, she was going to see her dad.

"Whoa, wait a sec," Wallace had wanted to be gentle with Veronica, but he panicked. He just wanted to stop her and he blurted out the truth she'd been wanting.

"He's in a coma, V!"

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09nerLoVer: You covered all of the highlights! I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Hope you like the way this thing get wrapped up. 8 chapters left!

Adja: See, I thought that since you'd gotten a good night's sleep the other night after my chapter, then you'd be okay with a little less sleep last night. lol I don't know if I'm a great writer, but the mean part? Just something that resides deep inside of me. I have no choice, but to let it shine. :-)

Oh, I loved your comment about Madison not shutting up...that was hilarious.

AJzkitten69: I tell you what. During S1, I had so many guesses about who the murderer could be. I was wrong on all accounts. They totally got me with the Aaron thing. I loved it! Yeah, Lynn was too fakey in canon for me. I just wanted to write what was a little deeper than the fakey airhead that was portrayed in the show. Bad Aaron, Bad!

alecygoodness22: ok, well the update is a little earlier this morning. Hope you're still hanging in there. :-) did you have a chance to figure it all out during the day break? I think that the detail can be good, too. It just depends on how the story it built. I like stories that even go episode by episode when they have their own twists and turns to them. With my stuff, I just like spending too much time on V and Logan. Everything else is only used to support their story line.

beatlechicksteph: Well, look at you. The one and only fan of cliffie's. heeheehee. Glad you enjoyed the reveal!

copperboom321: breathe, breathe, breathe. It's okay...kind of.

hulahula551: thank you! I love hero Logan, but I also like the idea that when he saw Keith, he had faith that everything would be ok.

jennaml2709: ok, look. What kind of an author would I be if I made it totally predictable and easy for you? At least you don't have to wait a week or more for the update, right? So, Lamb was a good idea. Sorry about the whole Aaron thing. I know you were pulling for it to be anyone else.

kylie144: I hope you AND your chair have recovered! Ok, so I wrote that, then I went to my e-mail and saw your next review. ROTFL!!! What is wrong with me? Well, that is a question that many people have been asking for years. Sorry, can't help you. I'm just plain twisted. :-)

ladylove5: Well, thank you...I think. Guess it depends on how you feel about cliff hangers, huh:-)

lagurlroks: whoopsie...no Lynn...sorry!

Literati and naley forever: Yeah, I know that Keith will still see the times that Logan hurt Veronica (in canon), but of everyone, Logan is fiercely protective and a constant for V.

Lorelei Candice Black: Yes. It was Aaron coming into the room. See, and you had no faith that I would answer you. (Wink)

LoVeElle: I love that you saw that about Aaron taping over Logan's childhood video. That is exactly what I was trying to get across. The fact that he had so little, I don't know, respect? for his family. He's willing to tape over once in a life time memories for his sick little game of deflate the balloon in the female child? Yeah, no good. Glad you liked the costumes. I drove myself crazy trying to figure out what the perfect costumes would be. And, yes, Keith making Logan nervous AND enjoying it. Too funny. Keith has an evil streak himself. Thanks!!

Nicole Therese: So glad that you're enjoying it. You never know what my odd little brain will come up with. I try to make everything as realistic as possible (you know, given that it's set in a tv show with extreme situations like murder by celebrities, incest, rape, molestation, bus crashes, etc, etc, etc). The idea that Aaron could be easily taken out by Veronica...not so much. That was proven when she went against him in S1 finale. Logan, although having a better chance, still more used to the beat down from his dad, rather than beating his dad down. So, yeah...Keith was the last option and in S1 finale, he didn't do so hot either. He finally won their battle, but it wasn't easy for him.

RBDFAN: How'd you like that?

RedBrick: I like the things you commented about after ch. 37. First, Veronica. Yeah, I really wanted her to have some of her spunk back. She really has started recovering from the Troy and Duncan thing, when she really needed to lean on Logan. The question is...how far will she go back into her old self? How self-reliant will she be? And...how far is too far? Oh, and glad you liked the costumes. I fretted and fretted over that one for a while!

SaraLyleth: Well, I'll concede that, had the show grown, Dick could have, too. As for Aaron and where he thought he was headed. I have know idea. I thought the same thing. What are you thinking? How are you going to explain 3 dead bodies? (That is if he'd gotten the chance to go back and finish the job.) I think he was just in an angry rage and wasn't thinking it through. And, hey, I never mind longer reviews.

sarca666: I can't help the cliffie's. The story wrote itself. See, not my fault.

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Now, now, now. Hate? Whew! I think we need to work on our relationship. I will take the first step in showing you that I wasn't lying about the code. Here is what I told you way back in chapter 33:

KKKKK WWWW BB PPP II A CCCC BB AAAAA...And what happened:

KEITH WILL BE PUT II A CCCC BB AARON. I had to leave some blanks for those who are reading my responses before reading Chapter 39. But see, I wasn't lying. I gave you a BIG spoiler 6 chapters ago. Okay, there is my olive branch. :-)

Vmfan387: Thanks! Hope you like. I'm glad so many of you liked their costumes. I can't tell you how long I agonized over those.

VMLoVeR87: Ah, don't count your chickens before they hatch! Lilly still made her appearance.

xosummerxo: Well, your questions should have been answered here. How did you like the answers? I'm glad it was exciting for you. It's good to know that I can really get you all going because that's what I'm trying to do in the story. Glad it's coming through. I'm glad you liked the Lynn/Veronica stuff, too. I have had things, like miscarriages, in my life that I can speak about in a completely different way to another woman than I can to a man, even my husband. I really think that V needs Lynn.

XXspuffster101XX: Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of the whole V turning on L because of his alibi and such. I'm glad that you liked the way the Aaron thing turned out. I love that my story has convinced you that I wouldn't have done anything predictable like have Aaron show up. I'm thinking there's a compliment in there. lol Anyway, glad I could still surprise you in the scene. Hope you enjoy the reveal of what happened.


	40. Chapter 40

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 40

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"What did you say? It was Logan who spoke up first, his voice an accusing whisper. Veronica just sat there with a blank stare, almost as if she hadn't even heard what Wallace had said.

'This can't be happening,' Logan thought. He was dumbfounded by the fact that he was more upset about Veronica's dad being in a coma, than his own father's death. Maybe it was because he loved her so much and knew what this would do to her. Maybe it was because his dad had been a horrible, hateful, violent man and Logan would have mourned the loss of anyone over his own father. Maybe he felt guilty that a decent man like Keith Mars had been hurt at the hands of his father. Or, was it possible, that Logan had actually begun to feel a bond with the older man that extended beyond a shared concern for the tiny blonde one?

There weren't a lot of people that Logan trusted and cared for, and even fewer that he respected, especially when it came to adults. Who are we kidding? The list was almost non-existent, that is, until recently.

Sure, Logan had a lot of friends and knew tons of people. Of all those, though, only four truly mattered. Veronica, Lynn, Duncan and now it seemed, Keith were the only occupants on his short list.

Logan knew that he liked Keith and respected him for the way he'd handled Veronica's kidnapping. He just hadn't realized how much he'd grown attached to him and how deep his respect for the man ran.

After what seemed like an eternity, Veronica came to life. She didn't say anything, she just started getting out of bed. Both boys looked at her as if she was a wild animal. They wanted to stop her, but knew that they had to approach her carefully.

"Veronica, what are you doing?" Logan asked gently, but no response came. He decided to push his luck and tried again a little more forcefully, "Veronica?"

"Huh?" She was in a daze and felt numb. All she could think about was getting to her father.

A part of her didn't really believe it. Her father was bigger than life and he could do anything. Nothing ever stopped him. Over the years, the short, stout, balding man had had his share of confrontations with men who were bigger, faster, stronger and meaner than him. From the psycho-types with super-human strength while pumped up on PCP, to the weight-lifting ex-con's on the run from their third strike, to the knife-wielding lunatics who had nothing left to lose; Keith Mars had always come out on top. How could Aaron Echolls, Hollywood Playboy, have done such damage to a Superman like her dad?

On the other hand, Veronica knew that if it were possible, if it were true that her father was in a coma, then he needed her. She was the only one who would be able to pull him out of it. If anyone, anywhere could help him, it was his daughter. They were a team. They were the Mars', for goodness sakes. As unstoppable as Keith Mars was by himself, he was even more so when teamed up with his action-figure daughter.

Veronica knew that she just needed to get to him and everything would be fine. Things would be how they were supposed to be. This big misunderstanding with the universe would all work itself out and things would be right again. Keith Mars would wake up and he and his daughter would move into their new apartment with the ocean view and security detail.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Huh?" Wallace and Logan said simultaneously.

"Oh, uh, I've got to go to my dad. Wallace, you have to take me to him."

"Whoa, wait a minute, Veronica. I totally get you wanting to see him, but remember what you've been through. Why don't you give yourself the night to rest and then you can see him in the morning before you leave the hospital?" Wallace knew how hard it would be for Veronica to see her dad. He was pretty beaten up.

Although he did some damage to Aaron, Aaron had gotten in a few good shots. Unfortunately, Keith had some bruising, cuts and swelling that made him look pretty bad. They would be fine in a couple of days, but added to the different tubes, wires and machines connected to him, they would only exacerbate the horrible vision. Wallace knew that he wouldn't be able to keep Veronica away for days, but he was hoping that he could keep her away long enough for her to get a good night's sleep and some of her own strength back before dealing with her father's weakened state.

"Look, Wallace, I know what you're trying to do and I love you for it. But, you need to understand that there is no way that I am waiting to see my father. There is nothing in this world that will keep me away from him tonight. Do you understand me?" She was speaking calmly and with an even tone.

She really did understand what Wallace was trying to do and she really did appreciate it. What he didn't understand is that being with her dad was as much for her as it was for him. She needed to see him, to really understand what was happening. She needed reassurance from her father in his own comatose way. At least she would know that he was still alive. She hadn't absolutely lost him yet and she couldn't lose him.

Both of the protective boys in her presence could read her expression. It was one that they'd both seen before and knew well. It was one of determination and pride, doggedness and strength, all mixed together with a slight aire of wild desperation.

When she had that look, they knew there was nothing they, or anyone could do to stop her until she got what she was looking for. In this case, seeing her father.

Wallace looked at Logan for some help and Logan just shrugged back to him. They knew that Veronica would always get her way, especially when it came to them. There was no use even fighting her on it.

"Okay, okay. I will take you to see your dad, but give me a minute. Let me grab a wheel chair real quick."

"Wallace, I don't need a wheel chair. You even said I would be fine." Veronica was holding her head as she spoke.

"Yeah, you WILL be fine. Right now you're sporting a massive headache. Plus, it will make it easier if we have to dodge the paparazzi." The paparazzi knew that her and Logan had been moved to a private room and had posted themselves in the parking lots. They had sources within the hospital willing sell out their patients. Nurses, janitorial staff, even some administrators would keep the vultures apprised as to a patient's status. That's how they always knew when stars were in and out of surgery, when they were moved into private rooms and most importantly, when they were released.

Wallace knew that Veronica needed to rest and the wheelchair was the best option, considering she would be traipsing around the hospital and dealing with the emotional stress of visiting her father.

"Find me one while you're at it...and a nurse too." When Veronica and Wallace looked at him like he had a third eye, he expanded on what he was saying. "Well, you didn't think that I was going to stay here, did you? I want to be with you. Plus, I'd like to see him, too."

Veronica smiled softly at him. She knew that Logan and her dad had spent a lot of time together and had started getting comfortable with each other, if not close. The trust her dad put in Logan showed how much he cared for the boy and she'd seen the respect Logan had for her dad.

"Alright, then. I'll be right back." Wallace said and then went in search of a couple of wheelchairs and a nurse to help push Logan around. Wallace knew he must be pretty sore if he was wanting help with the chair. Logan was a lot like Veronica in that way, he hated to show weakness.

"Hey, you ready for this?" Logan wrapped his arms around Veronica tightly and she leaned her head into him.

She took in a long, slow breath. "Yeah."

"I'll be with you, whatever happens." He was speaking softly while he stroked her hair soothingly.

"Yeah," she whispered. She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into him.

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When they arrived at Keith's room, they stopped for a moment. The nurse told them what they could expect to see when they went into the room. She didn't want them to be shocked at his appearance.

Veronica nodded. She was getting anxious to see her father and was really having to control herself. She had to keep reminding herself that the nurse was just trying to help.

Veronica had expected to walk into a darkened room, like the one she'd woken up in. Instead, all of the lights were on. 'Apparently they aren't afraid of waking the coma patients,' Veronica chuckled inappropriately to herself.

She could see the machines surrounding his bed and hear the beeping of the heart monitor. It was difficult to see him from her low position, so she slowly rolled closer. Logan was beside her as soon as he could get into the door.

Finally able to see his face, Veronica let out a shaky breath as silent tears began to roll down her cheeks. She had listened to the nurse and had tried to prepare herself for what she would see. Unfortunately, nothing could have truly prepared her.

Her father laid completely still in the hospital bed. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest gave assurance of his condition. He was pale, more pale than she'd ever seen him and the bruising and dry blood from the injuries on his face stood as a stark contrast to his pigment. He looked...older, frail. It wasn't a sight she was used to at all.

There were wires and tubes running everywhere. Between the oxygen he was receiving, the IV, the catheter, the heart rate monitor and the leads that were attached to his chest, he looked so helpless.

"Dad?" Veronica paused for a moment, almost expecting for him to respond in some way. The thought that he would hear her voice and suddenly awake is what had held her together from the moment Wallace told her what had happened.

"Dad?" She said a little more forcefully. This time, her voice was quivering from the tears spilling out and she was breathing heavier.

She asked Wallace to help her get closer to him. When she was out of the wheel chair, she climbed onto his bed, careful not to touch any of the medical equipment. She just curled up next to his stomach while her legs hung awkwardly off of the bed. She clutched at his gown as she sobbed against his side.

Logan was there, rubbing her back. At the same time, he placed an arm across her body, keeping her from falling, and held onto Keith's hand tightly. The tears flowed easily from his own eyes, yet he and Veronica were not the only ones crying in the room.

Wallace and the nurse stood back silently, watching the scene in awe. Tears clouded over their eyes at the tender moment being shared between the three souls in front of them.

All three of them were tough in their own right. They had all endured tremendously tough times over the last year and even before. They'd had to toughen up in order to survive. Yet, here they were. Each of them vulnerable in their own way, whether physically, like Keith or emotionally, like Veronica and Logan.

"Daddy," Veronica was still sobbing into his side. She didn't lift her head and her voice was muffled.

"Daddy, I love you so much. You can't leave me, do you hear me? I can't do this without you." Veronica's voice was rough and she let the tears take over again.

It was about 30 minutes later when Wallace and Logan were sure that Veronica had cried out everything she had and had passed out. They decided to try to get her back to her hospital room without waking her. The nurse had stepped out a few minutes after they'd come to the room, so Logan had an idea.

Wallace picked Veronica up from her dad's side and turned to place her in Logan's arms. She shifted a little, but only enough to burrow herself into Logan. Then, Wallace pushed Logan and Veronica back to their room.

After Wallace had gotten her settled in her bed and Logan had climbed in with her, he sat down for a minute before leaving.

"So, you're pretty sore, huh?" Wallace was looking at Logan for a response.

"Well, yeah, I guess. It's not a new feeling to me, but it's never what I'd call fun." He'd experienced plenty of bruised and broken ribs at the hand of his father over the years.

"Yeah, when you asked for the chair and nurse, I knew it had to be bad."

"Actually, those weren't for me as much as they were for Veronica," Logan ducked his head out of embarrassment.

"What are you talking about? I was already planning on getting her a chair."

"I know, but she was reluctant. I didn't want her fighting it because of her pride, so I asked for them hoping that she would follow my lead. Like if I was willing to admit I needed them, maybe she'd be a little more open to it." He shrugged and shook his head. "Look I knew she needed the chair, I just wanted to make sure she felt comfortable and actually used it. She's just so bull-headed."

"Wow! Okay, that's not the pot calling the kettle black." Wallace was laughing at Logan's double standards. "Well, whatever. It worked."

"Yeah," Logan yawned. "I just hope Keith comes out of this."

"Me too. I don't know if she'd survive that. How much more can she take?"

A previously exhausted Logan became very alert, very quickly. Looking straight into Wallace's eyes he said, "No, she'd survive. We'd make sure of it. There is no way I'll ever let anything happen to her again. No matter what happens, she'll fight through it and we'll be there to make sure of it."

Wallace noticed the difference in Logan and was intrigued by his absolute protectiveness. He knew where it came from, but it still surprised him. He had watched Logan and Veronica's relationship change so drastically over such a short period of time.

"You really care about her, huh?" Wallace wasn't one to talk about feelings, most guys weren't. If he liked a girl, he just liked her. He didn't need to have some big, long discussion about it. Normally he wouldn't have said anything to Logan, but his thoughts flew out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Wallace wasn't sure how Logan was going to react. He figured he wouldn't hear the end of this little 'girly' moment he was having.

"Well, Wallace, I didn't know we were having a sleep over and talking about girls. I would have brought the nail polish and chocolate." Logan snarked at him, but then laughed it off.

"Actually, I don't care about her. I love her. I love her so much that I am constantly in pain!"

"What?" Wallace was looking at Logan like he'd lost his mind. "What are you talking about, you're in pain?"

"Well, since you've reduced us to 13-year old girls, I'll share my feelings with you." Logan said over dramatically.

"It's like this, I am always in pain. If I'm not with her, I'm aching to be. She can be across the quad not even looking in my direction, but the minute I see her, my chest tightens so much that I swear I'm gonna die. Her tears rip my heart out of my chest; and when she's in pain, I swear I can feel it radiating through my body. Worst of all is when she smiles at me and when she touches me. Man, I'm a goner. My throat closes up and I know I'll never regain the ability to breathe again." Logan had said more than he'd intended, but with the feeling of a sleeping Veronica in his arms and the rise and fall of her breath declaring her health, he just couldn't stop.

"Wow!" That was all Wallace could say. He was in awe of how much Logan had opened up and glad that Veronica's happiness was his passion. Veronica deserved to be at the forefront of someone's thoughts and he wondered if she really knew how much Logan loved her.

"Yeah, wow! Don't even think about telling anyone about this conversation...not even me. Not that I care if people know that I love her; I just don't want people to know I sit around and talk about my feelings. Hell, I didn't even get a good pillow fight out of it!" They both laughed and Logan laid his head back on the bed and yawned again.

"Hey, let me get out of here and you can get some rest. I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow." Wallace knocked fists lightly with Logan considering Logan's bruised knuckles and then walked out of the room.

Logan looked down at Veronica and left a long, lingering kiss on her head. "I do, you know? I love you so much and I don't know what I'd do if something had happened to you tonight...or last week in Mexico...or the week before when Troy took you behind the school."

"That's it, you're never leaving the house again!" Logan whispered into the air as he closed his eyes.

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DISCLAIMER: The part about when Wallace likes a girl, he just likes her...is from the show when he and V were talking about Georgia. And, when she's crying on her dad's side, I took that part from S1 finale when he got burned. Not exact wording, but the gist.

Adja: I'm so glad you didn't skip ahead. It would've taken all of the fun out of it for me. lol

AJzkitten69: Woohoo. Ok, I'm not a big HP fan. Nothing against it, just have never read or watched any of it...but, I understand the obsession with it. So, I take it as a high honor that you would consider putting it on hold to check for my updates.

alecygoodness22: glad you liked it...let's see if Keith recovers.

copperboom321: stick with me...remember, smashed computer equals no more DL. You'd never know how it ends in just 7 short chapters.

Chandramas: Thanks, girl. You know I love you.

Iloverogan07: Thank you...thank you very much. Please keep enjoying.

IluvVM: It's good to hear from you again and I'm glad you got caught up on everything. Really glad you liked it...and, you didn't even have to deal with all of the cliff hangers. Lucky you!

jennaml2709. You come to Washington, I'll give you a cookie. Although...I must tell you. I have a deeply held belief on cookies. They must be chocolate chip. On rare occasions, peanut butter. Anything else is a waste of time. :-) I love that you were thinking about it on the way to work. I love the fics that I read that I consider later and work through the different scenarios in my head.

lagurlroks: hey, she shot him...and now you're complaining about her promptness:-)

Literati and naley forever: No, Keith and Alicia aren't dating. That happened later in the year...although, I know it did happen earlier in regard to sequence of events with Aaron. And, S3 Logan vs. Cop Car. Totally priceless!

Lorelei Candice Black: You quite succinctly covered what most people thought. Aaron dead, good. Keith coma, bad. :-) Thanks!!!

LoVeElle: I really love your reviews. They are so detailed and give me your feelings on each aspect of the chapters. Thank you so much. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Mel7: I'll try not to, but I don't have much control. These darn characters do whatever they want to.

Miss-Mars: ok, look. I was pointed to the review on a specific story listed on this board. You left a review that said that you were finally going to just stop reading...at like chapter 15. Considering the story and the length of time you hung in there, I'm not convinced you're not a masochist. Anyone who could stick with that story for that long has got to be. :-)

Nicole Therese: Well, thank you and I do appreciate your comments. I don't remember if ch. 39 was one of those chapters, but I know that there were a couple, when I was writing it, that didn't feel right. It almost felt like I was just trying to make it through. Like I said...I don't remember, now, if ch.39 was one of those, but I'm glad you liked it anyway.

RBDFAN:-)

RedBrick: I know what you're saying about the self-reliance. Next chapter, all of that will come to a head. And, thank you. I'm glad you liked the suspense of Keith.

Shetlandlace: I'll tell you the same thing I told another HP lover. Woohoo. Ok, I'm not a big HP fan. Nothing against it, just have never read or watched any of it...but, I understand the obsession with it. So, I take it as a high honor that you would consider putting it on hold to check for my updates. So...thanks!!!! Enjoy your HP.

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Masochist.

Vmfan387:Thank you!!!!

VMLoVeR87: thank you. I'm glad you liked it. Hmmm, what will happen to Keith?

XoSethCohenxO: Thanks so much. Chapter 40...another sad one, huh?

xosummerxo: You are a sweetheart! Thank you so much. Although, if you thought ch. 39 was sad, ch. 40 was probably pretty sad for you, too. Okay, confession time. Not only did I write the fic, but I've read it for editing. I read it again before posting this chapter (40) and I even cried. How messed up is that?

XXspuffster101XX: another HP fan. I hope you are enjoying your book. I'm sorry it is the last in the line for you. This year has been tough on you, huh? VM ends AND HP comes to a close. At least, J.K. Rowlins (right?) probably ends her series with an actual ending:-)

**Lorelei Candice Black**  
2007-07-20  
ch 39, **reply**

**iloverogan07**  
2007-07-20  
ch 39, **reply**

This story just keeps getting better and better!!


	41. Chapter 41

Drunk Logan

Chapter 41

A/N: Just a reminder...I still don't own VM...didn't get JD or LE for Christmas or a festive 4th of July gift...and apparently don't own Harry Potter either...although, with the empire J.K. Rowling has built, I wish I did. Thanks to everyone for reviewing...and thanks to those of you who may not have reviewed, but have added me or the story to your alert and favorite lists. I see you and appreciate you, too.

I'm going to have an extremely busy Sunday, so I am posting this...technically on Sunday, since it's 12:43 a.m. my time. This will be my Sunday update. Thanks!!

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When Logan and Veronica woke the next morning, they were pretty sore and moving slowly. The doctor had come in and agreed to release them with instructions to 'take it easy' and telling them how lucky they'd been.

Logan had to laugh to himself. 'Lucky. Well, that's one way of putting it...if you consider being born to a psychopath and being raised in the limelight so that when your mother killed said psychopath, it would be splashed all over the media.

He let all of that go, though. He knew the doctor was talking about their physical injuries and he had to agree. He didn't know what he would have done if Veronica had met the same fate that Lilly had at the hands of his father. Although Logan knew it wasn't his fault, he still felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

Not only had he lost his first serious girlfriend to the violence of his father, he'd almost lost the girl he'd come to love more than anyone. Even as relieved as he was about Veronica, they were still awaiting the outcome of Keith's situation. His head spun when he allowed himself to think of everything that his father was. He'd been so much worse than Logan could have imagined, which was saying a lot.

When Wallace came in to pick them up, they were dressed and ready to go. Logan really wanted to check on Lynn and he couldn't wait to be home, away from the hospital and the blood thirsty paparazzi. Veronica, although wanting to make sure Lynn was alright, was nervous about leaving the hospital...well, her dad.

Wallace smiled brightly at them, happy to see them up and around after everything they'd been through the night before. He walked over and took Veronica's hand.

"Ready to go, Supafly?"

"Yeah," she replied timidly and with a tight smile. Both boys caught her apprehension and when they questioned her about it, she told them the truth. Well, half of the truth.

"I want to see him before we leave to let him know I'll be by tomorrow. I just hate leaving my dad here alone. I want to be here when he wakes up." She shrugged, hoping that they would let it lie and they did.

The truth was that she'd spent a lot of the morning thinking about the whole situation. She'd had a restful night's sleep and had time to separate herself from all of the emotion she'd felt the night before. She'd been lost when she woke up after such a startling encounter with Aaron. Then, she was hit with the news of her father and it was like a Mack truck blind-siding her.

The morning allowed for perspective and reality to creep in. When it came down to it, now-a-days Veronica was usually quite practical. She'd had to be when her father lost his Sheriff's position. When their world was turned upside down after Lilly died and her father was recalled, when her mother left and they had to move into a crappy two-bedroom apartment, practicality set in. When her father took a financial risk and put everything they had into Mars Investigations and they had to squeeze by in order to pay the rent, when the thought of going to Stanford University was no longer about just the grades, reality set in.

That's what it always comes down to for her, reality and practicality. That is what she'd spent her morning focusing on, including all of the details of her new reality.

The reality of the situation was that she was homeless. Sure, they'd been staying with the Echolls', but that was never meant to be a long-term arrangement. In fact, her and her father had been due to move out and into their new apartment in a few days.

Veronica had access to the money in their business account but not to what was in her father's personal account. There wasn't a ton of money in the business account and what was there would need to be used to keep the business afloat for a while. She knew that she'd never be able to afford the new place, but she'd need to find somewhere to live.

She had thought a lot about what she would need to do in order to take care of everything. First things, first. She would meet with Cliff for a little bit of advice regarding her dad's incapacitated state and her status as a minor. Even though Cliff was an attorney specializing in criminal law, she also knew that her father had used him as a sounding board for his own legal advice since he'd had to give up the attorney he was able to afford as Sheriff.

Veronica was seventeen and knew that she could probably slide by until her 18th birthday, but she would need as much help and direction as Cliff could give her.

Her next thought was of her schedule. She would need to take a hiatus from school. As much as she hated the idea of getting behind and losing the chance at graduating on time and missing out on any scholarship opportunities, this was about necessity.

She could have some slightly abbreviated hours at the office, taking on the background checks and cheating husbands. There would be no big money bail jumpers, but the smaller stuff would have to do. When she finished up at the office, she could work as a waitress in a restaurant during the dinner hour, hopefully ensuring a good amount of tips. Once done there, she'd have time for nighttime stakeouts parked in front of The Camelot. When she got the money shot, she could easily pick up a couple of hours at an all night grocery or gas station. Maybe Wallace could put in a good word for her at the Sac-n-Pac. She'd have to remember to talk to him about that. On the weekend, she could work even more hours, since the office would be closed.

If she didn't open the office until 10 a.m., that would give her about four or five hours of sleep time. It wasn't a lot, but it was doable. Plus, she figured that if she were barely at her apartment, it wouldn't matter how crappy the place was. Worse came to worse, she figured she could always live at the office for a while. She could sleep on the couch, there was a mini-kitchen and it would cut down on her commute time. She would just figure out somewhere to take showers.

She was scared about it, but she was determined. She would keep things going until her dad woke up, or for as long as necessary.

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When Wallace dropped them off at Logan's, she excused herself to her room. Logan went in search for his mother, who had been dropped off by the Sheriff's Deputies just a couple of hours earlier. She would have come to the hospital, but she would have gotten there just in time to come back home with the kids.

Veronica called Cliff and told him what had happened and why she needed to talk to him. When she heard the muffled voices of Lynn and Logan behind the master bedroom door, she decided not to disturb them. They had so many issues to work through that they could be there for the rest of the day.

Veronica left word with Mrs. Navarro that she was going out and would be back later. They could reach her on her cell phone, if needed.

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Logan had called Veronica and asked what she was doing. When she told him that she was meeting with Cliff about her father's business and financial affairs, he offered to meet them somewhere. He wanted to be with her and help her while she dealt with the details of life less than 24 hours after she'd found out her father was in a coma.

"Logan, no, stay with your mom. She needs you right now. You need to be together." Logan was torn, he knew that both of the women he loved needed him, but he couldn't be in two places at once.

"Okay, but remember, Ronnie, you're supposed to be taking it easy." Logan reluctantly let her go, but not before adding, "I'll see you when you get home. I love you."

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Love you." She shut her phone and then turned her attention back to Cliff and the woman they'd been meeting with.

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Veronica was dog tired, had a pounding headache and was aching all over when she got back to the Echolls' house. She really just wanted to drag herself into bed and not get up until Monday morning. She was happy about one thing, though. She'd really accomplished a lot that day. Cliff had come through for her like she never thought he would have.  
She heard Logan and Lynn in the dining area, but decided to sneak up to her room first. She'd put her stuff away, take a hot shower and then join them for a bite to eat. She wasn't all that hungry, but didn't want to be rude by not checking on Lynn.

As soon as she shut her bedroom door behind her, she walked over to the bed, placed her paperwork down and then collapsed onto the bed out of pure exhaustion. She passed out face down with her legs hanging precariously off the side of the bed.

Logan and Lynn thought they'd heard someone come into the house. Assuming it was Veronica, they waited for her to join them in the dining room, but when she didn't, they went searching for her.

When they found her sprawled out on her bed, they giggled at the sight.

"We should at least take her shoes off and put her all the way on the bed so she doesn't fall off," Lynn offered.

"Yeah, although she's probably so exhausted, she won't even notice until she wakes up on the floor in the morning." Logan chuckled again and shook his head at the sight as they walked over to his passed out girlfriend.

As Lynn was taking off Veronica's shoes, Logan picked up the pile of paperwork to move it to her dresser.

"What the..?" Lynn looked up at the sound of confusion in her son's voice.

"What is it, honey?" She asked him quietly as to not disturb the sleeping girl.

"I-I don't know." Lynn recognized the confusion and hurt in her son's voice. She walked over to him and begun looking at the papers he was reading. Lynn gasped.

"Is this what I think it is?" Logan questioned his mom, worry etched across his face.

"Well, I could be wrong, but it looks like our little Veronica spent her day of rest...apartment and job hunting." They were looking at several documents, including a rental agreement for a studio apartment in a seedy part of town with Cliff as a co-signor, and copies of two work schedules. One from Java the Hut, the other from the Sac-n-Pac. Logan's face paled when he saw that the Sac-n-Pac schedule had her working from midnight to four in the morning.

In the stack, there was also a pad of paper. It had various meticulous notes and to-do lists. There was a to-do list for getting the office in order and posting the new abbreviated hours. There was a budget listed with estimated income from her jobs and the cost of the apartment, utilities, gas and food. The budget showed that she'd just be scraping by.

She'd even had a written out schedule of her day:

**M - F**  
9 a.m. - Wake, shower, go into office 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Work in the office  
4:30 p.m. - 7:30 - Java The Hut  
8:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. - Stakeouts  
12 a.m. - 4 a.m. - Sac-n-Pac  
4:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Sleep

**Sat-Sun**  
7 a.m. - Wake, shower  
8 a.m. - 7 p.m. - Java The Hut  
7:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. - Stakeouts  
11:30 p.m. - 3:30 a.m. - Sac-n-Pac  
4 a.m. - 7 a.m. - Sleep

"Mom, look at this! She's giving herself, what, four and a half hours to sleep on weekdays and 3 on the weekend? And what is she thinking getting an apartment in that neighborhood. Plus, she's going to be on the streets and coming home at all hours of the night. What is she doing? Asking to be robbed by working that shift at the Sac-n-Pac? She's crazy!" Logan was really getting worked up, but Lynn stopped him and pulled him out of her room.

"Mom, what are you doing? I've got to talk to her." He tried to head back into Veronica's room, but was stopped once again by his mother.

"Listen, here, Logan. We're going to take care of this, okay? Do you trust me?" Logan nodded reluctantly.

"Good. Now let's let her sleep and we'll go downstairs and discuss this." Logan followed his mom quietly. He was furious, though, and almost to the point of frustrated tears by the time they reached the living room.

Lynn gave him a hug and reassured him again. They sat down and began discussing the situation.

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Veronica woke up pretty early Sunday morning. Although she wouldn't normally choose to wake up at six o'clock on a weekend, she'd gone to sleep at 7 o'clock the night before. She'd gotten eleven hours of sleep and, although she needed it, she just couldn't stay in bed any longer.

She crept down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast, but was startled by the sight in front of her when she got there. Logan and Lynn were sitting at the breakfast bar speaking in hushed tones. Veronica smiled at them and their attempts to not wake her. She appreciated that after the last couple of days. What she didn't understand is what they were doing awake.

In the time that she'd been staying at the Echolls' house, none of them had proven to be early risers. Considering it was a weekend and no one had to be anywhere, there was no reason for them to be up. It made her a little nervous and she began to wonder if something had happened to her father.

"Is my dad okay?" Both of the Echolls' spun around, surprised at her presence. After a minute of processing what she'd said, Lynn got up an walked over to her.

"Well, I believe he's still in a coma, the hospital hasn't called to report any changes in his condition." At Veronica's slow nod, Lynn wondered what was going through her mind. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just...you two." She waved her hand between Lynn and Logan. When they just looked back at her in confusion, she continued. "You two are up really early. You never get up this early and both of you are awake. I figured something was wrong. What's going on?"

"Oh, that. Yes, well, I wanted to speak to you about your living situation, Veronica." Her and Logan had known that Veronica would probably be up early. She normally didn't sleep in real late and she'd passed out early the night before. They made sure to be awake before she was so that they'd catch her before she tried to leave the house.

The day before had seemed so harmless. Veronica had slipped out because she'd needed to speak with her father's friend/attorney regarding Keith's health and the business. It seemed harmless, until she came home and they realized that she'd been spending the day scrambling to figure out how she was going to get through day-to-day life.

It was a foreign concept to Lynn and Logan. To think that this seventeen year old girl would spend the day that she was released from the hospital, while her father was in a coma, dealing with the logistics of where she would live, how she'd pay for it and how she would keep her father's P.I. business alive. Lynn and Logan knew they had it easy, but they would never expect such resilience from anyone, let alone a teenager.

Teenagers were supposed to be all about having fun and just living their lives. Sleeping in and putting off until tomorrow what could be done today were paramount in the teenage life. At least, that was before Veronica Mars. They were both impressed by her intestinal fortitude and depressed at the thought that she felt she needed to be strong enough to take care of herself and all of her worries.

"Oh, Lynn, don't worry. You don't have to say anything. I have everything taken care of and will be moving into an apartment later this week." Veronica didn't want to have the whole 'this was just supposed to be a temporary living situation' conversation with Lynn. She really didn't want to overstay her welcome.

"I'll be out of your way soon. I found a great little place located between the office, school and the hospital. It'll work great and it's close to everywhere I need to be." She was trying to cover her lies with a calm smile. She knew that Lynn was a wonderful and caring woman. She didn't want Lynn to feel guilty that she'd be withdrawing from school for awhile and she knew that Lynn wouldn't feel comfortable with the little apartment she'd found.

It was then that Veronica noticed the look on Logan's face. It was hard and he seemed to be angry. She misinterpreted that look as anger toward his mother for wanting Veronica to leave. She understood where Lynn was coming from and didn't want Logan to be upset with her.

"Logan, please don't be upset with your mom. She's right. It's time for me to go. My dad and I were only staying here as a temporary solution and we were planning on moving out this week anyway. Don't worry, I'll be fine. We won't see each other as much as we do now, but what high school kids get to spend 24/7 together anyway? We'll make it..." She stopped when she was interrupted suddenly by Logan's outburst.

"I'm not mad at my mom! I just don't understand how you could do this!" He was shouting at her and she was confused by his apparent anger toward her. What had she done to make him angry at her?

"What?" The hurt was rolling off of her in waves. She really didn't want to get into a fight with Logan. He'd been so supportive of everything she'd gone through in recent weeks. He'd been her rock and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay strong enough to do what needed to be done without his support.

"Logan, settle down, honey. We'll get this all worked out." Lynn's voice was smooth and calming as she walked closer to the kids.

"I don't understand. What's the problem?" Veronica was looking back at Lynn since she seemed to be the only one making sense at the moment.

"Well, Veronica, Logan and I saw the paperwork you had last night. All of your work schedules and the rental agreement and everything. We were a little shocked that you wanted to get away from us so quickly. I understand that you are probably uncomfortable in this house, now, but Aaron isn't here to bother us anymore." Lynn was well aware that Veronica's reasons for finding a new place to live were not because of Aaron.

Veronica had shown herself to be a prideful young woman, in the best sense of the word. Lynn wanted to be sensitive to that, and not bring up the financial issues that Veronica faced.

Veronica's eyes got huge. She had not meant to make Lynn and especially Logan feel like she wanted to get away from them. There was no one she wanted to be around more than Logan and she hated the idea of going to a small apartment all by herself, knowing that her father wouldn't be walking through the door at any time.

"No, no, no...that's not what I was doing. Please believe me, I'm sorry if you thought that I wanted to get away from you. I just knew that living here was temporary. I needed to get everything in order so that I could support myself until dad gets better. We don't know how long that will be and I can't just keep taking advantage of your kindness and stay here forev..."

"That's bullshit!" Logan shouted at her again, but stopped at the stern look his mother was giving him. She was surprising him with her strength. He'd never seen her display a great deal of strength when his father was around. It was like she'd been emotionally beaten down for so long that she had just given up. He was in awe of her as he watched the way she was handling Veronica. He could see that she knew exactly what to do and how to approach her.

"Veronica, we love you. We don't want you to leave. As far as I'm concerned, we are responsible for you now. Not only was Aaron responsible for getting you and your dad into this situation and he owes you for that, but more so because we WANT you to stay with us." Veronica was hesitant. She didn't want pity or charity. That's not how she was raised and she would be darn sure not to let her father down now.

At the hesitancy Lynn saw on Veronica's face, she decided to explain her plan.

"You need to learn that you are not alone, Veronica. I know you've had to get used to the idea of you and your father taking care of each other without anyone else's help, but dear, you're just going to have to get over that. You've got a whole new extended family now and we're not letting you do this on your own."

'Extended family.' Veronica repeated those words in her head. The idea was foreign to her. It seemed like it'd been years since there was someone other than her and her father.

"Now that you have worked out your plan all alone, here's our plan. The plan that Logan and I worked out together, you know, the way families do." She gave Veronica a pointed look.

"You are going to stay here. There will be no arguments about that. We will be paying for your father's hospital bills, like I said, Aaron owes him that anyway. And, I would like to petition the court's for temporary guardianship of you, just until your father recovers. That way, the state won't have the opportunity to ship you off to some foster home or something. You will stay in school, you will not work all of those extra jobs and you will be a happy member of our family. Do you understand?" Veronica's eyes were wide and she was fighting off the tears threatening to fall as the impact of Lynn's love flooded her. She slowly nodded.

Lynn placed her hands on both sides of Veronica's face. "Good, and when your dad is released, he will come and stay here until he is fully recovered and you guys are back on your feet." She pulled Veronica into a hug and caressed her hair.

"Yes, ma'am." Veronica had no idea where this assertiveness was coming from, but she decided not to challenge it. Lynn pulled back and looked into Veronica's eyes once more before apparently finding what she was looking for.

"Good! Now, you two had better go upstairs and undo all of the crazy plans that Veronica made yesterday. Then, you can head over to the hospital to visit Keith." With that, Lynn walked out of the room, leaving a stunned Logan and Veronica.

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09nerLoVer: Yeah, we all knew they were a couple of girls at heart.

Adja: Yes, Wallace and Logan work well together. When people who love Veronica come together, it can be pretty cool. 2 more chapters until we find out if Keith will be okay.

copperboom321: Well, I can admit...I'm probably not the biggest Aaron fan. lol.

lagurlroks: Hey, me too and I wrote the scene. It just reminded me of the S1 finale when she broke down when her dad was being taken into the ambulance.

Literati and naley forever: Hey, the fact that you were willing to put HP aside long enough to read, let alone review...is awesome.

Lorelei Candice Black: 2 more chapters...you'll have your answer in 2 more chapters

LoVeElle: Yes, I've got a good outline started for the new fic. I'm just trying to make sure I write it different enough and the characters different enough so that is truly departs from this fic. Anyway, having a chapter end on a light note or without a cliffhanger is nice every once in a while. 2 chapters before we find out Keith's fate.

Miss-Mars: What can I say, her life is never boring!

Nicole Therese: Thank you. I'm glad to know you enjoyed this one more.

pie108: Well, thank you for the review and your interest in the story. Hope you enjoy it!

RBDFAN: Well, I don't know when you're expecting your copy of HP, but I hope you receive it soon for your sake. I am sorry to hear that all of your favs are ending this year. At least Heroes is still new. I'm glad to hear that you got your DVD's of VM. I spent so much time watching mine. I used to put a disk on the tv, while I had an exercise video running on my laptop. I could exercise and watch VM at the same time.

ShmexyShmexyHinny: Well, I hope you enjoy your book and your trip. Thanks, "creep" (your word, not mine.

Vmfan387: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was a pretty emotional chapter...made me tear up when I read it this time, too...even when I know what's happening.

XoSethCohenxO: Thank you. I'm so glad you are still enjoying it after 40 chapters. Hope you enjoy your HP read.

xosummerxo: Glad you liked it. You should be finding out the fate of Keith in a couple of chap. Thx for the review.

XXspuffster101XX: Thank you for the correction there. I'll tell you a secret about my evilness. (You never know the depths to which it runs.) But, your questions will be answered in 2 chapters. :-)


	42. Chapter 42

Drunk Logan  
Chap 42

A/N: I don't own betting, dating or the acronym SUV. No replies today. I've got company coming and I have a massive cleaning schedule. So, sorry, but you all know I love you!!!!

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Veronica was in a daze as she stared at the doorway that Lynn had just walked through. She tried to digest the woman's words.

'Wow, bossy Lynn. Who would've thought. This is gonna take some getting used to.' The corner of her mouth turned up slightly at the thought that shooting one's husband is apparently quite empowering.

When she turned to face Logan, she jumped a little. He was staring straight at her, his mouth in a tight line and his eyes full of fire. She watched as his jaw muscles tensed and relaxed. Before she could study him any further or ask him what was going on, he turned on his heel abruptly and headed toward her room.

Veronica had to move quickly to keep up as Logan moved down the hall and away from her with long, purposeful strides. When they entered her room, he stood ramrod still in the middle, crossing his arms over his chest.

When he wouldn't look at her, she couldn't let it go anymore. "What's going on Logan? Why are you so ticked?"

The fact that he was chewing on the inside of his cheek was the only sign that he had heard her at all. As she opened her mouth to restate her question, he finally broke his stance. He walked around her to her dresser, grabbing the stack of paperwork she'd brought home the night before. Then, he grabbed her phone from the night stand before returning to her.

When Logan was standing in front of her again, he held out the items to her and she remembered the whole reason they were in her room. She needed to "undo all of the crazy plans" that she'd made the day before. At least, that's how Lynn had put it. Veronica wasn't sure she'd necessarily word it that way, but that was neither here nor there.

Considering Logan wasn't being real talkative, she sat on her bed and started making the phone calls. She watched Logan out of the corner of her eye the entire time. During the first phone call, turning down the job at the Sac-n-Pac, he continued to stand in one place. The next call to Java The Hut produced a pacing Logan. Finally, on the last call, cancelling the apartment that she and Cliff had found, he began to relax. By the time she was off the phone, he had made his way over to the bed and was sitting a few inches from her.

After she hung up the phone, she heard Logan exhale a heavy breath. He was looking at his lap when she turned to speak to him. He looked like the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders.  
"Logan?" She said softly. She placed her hand on his leg. "Logan, what's going on?"

When his eyes finally met hers, she wished that she'd never pushed the subject. A myriad of emotions tangled behind his beautiful brown orbs. The anger she'd seen before had lessened, but what remained made her wish for some of that anger back. The concern, the worry, the hurt. It broke her heart.

"Veronica...why would you do all of that? What were you thinking?" His voice was strong, but quiet. "Don't you want to be here? Don't you know that I need you here?"

"Oh, Logan," Veronica shook her head slowly and took a deep breath. "These last few weeks, being here, have been some of the best times in my entire life. I mean, it's hilarious if you think about it. While staying here or just before, I've been stalked, beaten up, found out my ex-boyfriend was my brother, then not, kidnapped, hit on by your father, and then almost killed in your pool house. Unless I have some sick fascination with pain and danger, I think it's safe to say that you're the reason I've been so happy." She wrapped one arm around his waist and caressed his face with her other hand.

"I've spent the last year of my life having to do things out of necessity. Dad and I didn't want to sell our great house and move into a small, crappy, two-bedroom apartment with almost no hot water. I didn't want to know how to change a tire in under five minutes or have to get a DNA test to prove my paternity. I didn't want to walk the halls at school, wondering which one of those people had raped me. I didn't want to cut my hair and change my clothes and completely cut myself off from everyone." Veronica glanced away for a moment and let out a frustrated breath. "Those are all things that I've done in order to survive and move forward."

"I absolutely did not want to leave here. I was raised, though, to respect people and to not take advantage of other's kindness. Assuming that I could just continue to live off of you and your mom goes against everything that I stand for. Can you understand that?" She was pleading with her eyes for him to believe her. She needed him to know that she wasn't saying this to tell him what he wanted to hear, but that it was what she truly believed.

Logan searched her eyes for a moment, then sighed. "I get that, I really do Ronnie. You're the most responsible, kind and unassuming person I've ever met. But, why didn't you talk to me about it? Why did you keep me in the dark? If you were going to move out, at least I could have been there with you."

"You needed to be with your mom. You needed to have time to start figuring out your family without Aaron." Before he could interrupt her, she continued. "And, if I had talked to you about it, I know that you would have felt bad for me and tried to stop me. I don't want pity, Logan. I don't need it."

"I know and I don't pity you...I love you. So does mom. That's why we got so upset when we saw all of the stuff you'd arranged yesterday, without even talking to us." He shook his head. "Doesn't even matter anymore. Mom told you that you are family and we are all going to be here for each other for a change. It'll be great." He exaggerated his eyes at her.  
"You can teach us how loving families actually operate. And won't it just be a hoot when your dad can come home and show us what a loving dad is actually like!" Logan was getting silly and had finally relaxed into his normal playful, snarky self. "Of course, ya know, Mars. There are no martyrs in loving families." He smirked cockily at her.

"Oh, shut up!" She started laughing and nudged his shoulder playfully. "If we weren't both beaten up, I'd totally tackle you right now...then we'd see who the martyr was."

Logan caught her wrist quickly and then pulled her to him. It happened in the blink of an eye, but he was still gentle with her. Their bodies were pressed together and the heat was rising rapidly.

"Oh, I look forward to that Miss Mars. In fact, I think it's worth the pain. Any time you want to tackle me, you are more than welcome." The look on his face could only be described as lecherous.

Veronica burst into laughter. She was so happy that Logan was getting back to normal. She wrapped both arms around him and leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss.

"You know I love you, right?" she cooed into Logan's ear.

"Not as much as I love you," he hummed back.

"Oh, are you challenging my love for you? Not smart. You know that I do everything better than you, right?" At his scoff and eye roll, she smirked. "That includes loving you."

"No way."

"Fine," she replied with complete resolution. "I'll bet you that I can love you better."

"What?" Logan seemed genuinely confused as he leaned back so he could look at her face. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm betting you that I can love you more and better than you love me. It's that simple."

"Oh, really? And just what are the terms of this thing you call a bet?" Logan was truly intrigued now by what was going on in his girlfriend's head. He knew her extremely well, not only from their recent life-altering experiences, but from everything they'd been through since they were twelve. Having said that...he could live to be one hundred and still be surprised by what was rattling around in her head.

"Hmmm...let's see." Veronica put her finger to her chin and looked upward like she was really considering the question. Then, a slow, sly smile spread across her face.

Logan would have described it as evil, like the cat that ate the canary, or the Cheshire cat, but really it was just plain scary. He waited, never one to back down from a challenge, but also unsure that he wanted to hear what was coming. Scenes began flashing through his mind. Flashes of a bong being pulled out of his locker, of a video clip of Madison and Kimmie revealing their plot, of guys twice her size caving under the knowledge of what she could do to them. His girl sure knew how to plot and scheme and he had just opened himself up to her ingenious plotting.

"Seeing as how it would need to be something of utmost importance to you...so that you take the challenge seriously, and seeing as how it would bring me immense pleasure..." She was really dragging it out and Logan couldn't take it anymore.

"Veronica," he said in a stern voice. "Tell me already."

She continued speaking as if he hadn't interrupted. "I would think it would make perfect sense that if you lose, you have to get a new paint job on your car...in my choice of color." Her eyebrow quirked up quickly, playfully as one side of her mouth lifted.

"What! Are you crazy? That's my baby!" His eyes were wide and his jaw hung open.

"Really?" Veronica replied in her most pouty voice with her bottom lip sticking out. "And here I thought I was your baby." She sighed overdramatically.

"Besides, Logan," the gleam was back in her eyes. "I thought you were so sure of yourself. Why does it matter what your part of the deal includes if you're not going to lose, hmm?"

Veronica couldn't help the giddiness she felt. It was stupid, really. Some ridiculously childish bet about who loved who more. A situation that proved that neither of them had matured to the point of being able to pass up the challenge of a bet...a dare.

The giddiness came not at the hands of the specific dare itself, but more at the lightheartedness of the moment they found themselves in. They were being silly and ridiculous and childish and the world wasn't coming to an end. There were no stalkers, rapists or murderers. There was no imminent danger, none of the tensions that had surrounded them for the last year. They were being stupid and she couldn't be happier.

"I AM going to win. Which, by the way, means I'll be getting what in return?" He narrowed his eyes at her, waiting again to see what her mind would come up with next.

"Hey, that's not how it works. I'm not here to do your brainwork, too." She was goading him and he loved it. They were poking fun and chiding each other, but it carried none of the weight that it would have just a few weeks earlier.

"Ah, I see. And here, I thought you had it all worked out. Okay, let me think about this." After a brief pause, he restated her guidelines, "Something important to you and something of immense pleasure to me, right?"

It wasn't until she caught his leer that she knew where his line of thinking was headed. Her body temperature rose quickly as she tried to hide the blush she was sure was there. She'd come a long way from the innocent girl she'd been since Lilly died, but Logan still had the ability to make her blush with his innuendos.

"I've got it. If I win...I want to see you dressed in nothing, but..."  
'Okay, Logan,' Veronica thought. 'You're killing me now. Just rip off the band-aid already. I guess turn about is fair play'

Veronica winced as she saw Logan preparing to finish that sentence.

"That outfit you wore to Gameland. You have to wear it while with me, on a date of my choice."

'That smug son-of- a-gun. He wouldn't make me do that, would he? What am I thinking? Of course he would! Fine, it's not like he's going to win anyway. Don't let him see you sweat, girl.' She chuckled to herself when she realized that she was channeling Wallace now, with all that 'girl' talk.

"Fine, Logan. If you win, I will wear that outfit on a date of your choosing." Logan watched as she tried to hide a smirk. She may be full of surprises, but she had to know that he knew her better than that.

"With me." He said firmly.

"What?" came Veronica's innocent reply.

"A date of my choosing WITH ME." He pinned her with that look that said 'I know what you're trying to pull and it won't work, sweetheart.'

She huffed and pouted for a minute before looking back into his eyes. "Fine!"

"Say it."

"LOGAN!"

"SAY...IT!"

"FINE! I will wear my Gameland outfit on a date of YOUR choosing WITH you. You happy?" She stared at him with faux irritation.

"Immensely. Of course, not as happy as I'll be when I've got my very own catholic-school hottie on my arm, but yeah, I'm pretty happy." Veronica tried to wipe the smirk off of his face with just the power of her glare. It wasn't working. She finally broke out in laughter with him immediately joining her, only to stop suddenly when he grabbed at his ribs.

"Ow-oowww-ow! Stop Veronica. Don't make me laugh. It's just not right to kick a man when he's down."

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As they were leaving to go to the hospital, Logan made sure to use an exaggerated arm gesture when he held open the front door for her and then another after he jogged ahead of her to open the car door for her. Both times he had to hold his ribs because of the pain shooting through him.

"Logan, stop. You don't need to cause yourself so much pain that you pass out."

"Ah, you just know I'm going to win. Because, let's face it, I am going to score major points when I pass out from pain in an effort to show my love for you."

Veronica just rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics.

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The drive to the hospital was quiet. That darn reality was trying to creep back in as they got closer and closer to the still and prone form of Keith Mars, surrounded by machines and tubes.

Veronica worked best with avoidance, so she figured she would try to earn back some points in their little contest until she was forced to face her father's condition.

She watched Logan for a moment. His expression was one of concentration and tension. She watched as his jaw clenched and released several times.

'Okay, Veronica, Operation: Help Logan Relax is now under way. First step?' She smiled to herself slyly as she began to trail her fingers lightly up his arm, over his shoulder and then nestling into the hair at the base of his head.

She wondered if he'd notice the click of her seatbelt release, but he didn't react if he did. After slowly freeing herself of her seatbelt, she leaned into him, leaving a light kiss on his shoulder. Still, no reaction. She smiled wryly at the challenge that he was silently issuing.

Veronica moved her entire body as close to him as she could. With her hand still playing with his hair, she used her other hand to trail her fingers over his chest while kissing her way toward his neck. His breathing was coming out in shallow spurts.

By the time his ear was nuzzled between her soft lips and her warm breath was attacking his senses, her hand was reaching under his shirt to caress the skin around his waist band.

Veronica yelped when the SUV swerved to the right. Everything happened in such a frenzy that she didn't even register the fact that he was pulling to the side of the road, hitting the breaks and then slamming the gear shift into park.

It wasn't until his lips were on hers and his tongue was invading her mouth that she realized he had plucked her out of her seat and she was sitting in his lap. The kiss was filled with passion and heat and his arms were so tight around her and holding the back of her head. She wasn't sure the kiss would ever end until she found herself back in her seat once again.

Just as quickly as it had started, it ended. She was back in her seat, with Logan reaching around her to belt her back in. The SUV was in gear and rolling down the road again before the fog in her head had a chance to clear. She would have been completely confused if she hadn't seen the look on his face. He was grinning as he continued to watch the traffic around him.

That was it. That's what made her efforts not only enjoyable, but fruitful. He was smiling again, no evidence of the tension of the day and their circumstances. Without looking at her, he reached over and placed his hand over hers, trapping it and lacing their fingers together.

When they reached the hospital, they walked hand in hand to Keith's room, but were stopped just before they entered.

"Ms. Mars, could I speak to you for a moment?" The kind-looking woman said as she gestured for Veronica to follow her to the nurses station.

"Uh, sure." Before following the woman, she turned to Logan. "Why don't you go ahead and go in. I don't want him to be alone any longer than he has to be."

He squeezed her hand and nodded before walking into Keith's room. Seeing him like that, without Veronica, had a completely different feel to it. The two previous times they had seen Keith, his main concern was being strong for Veronica. She'd cried in his arms and he didn't feel like he could completely break down, too. He'd shed some silent tears, but had not let himself show any more emotion.

As he approached Keith's bed, he was taken by the stillness of the room. The quiet hum of the machines in the room was no match for the suffocating silence that surrounded him.

Logan had gotten so used to Keith's 'bigger-than-life' personality. In his experiences with Keith, he'd seen the focused calm the man used to methodically search through clues in Troy's "Stalker" room and the passion and intensity the man had while searching for his daughter. The strong restraint he had shown when finally getting his hands on the boy, after they'd saved Veronica, had spoken volumes. Then, he had the pleasure of watching Keith and Veronica playfully banter and joke at various times. They were never what you'd call quiet. They may have only been a family of two, but he was pretty sure that they talked, joked, laughed and played around enough for any family. They were loud and jovial and snarky...nothing like the deafening silence that threatened to choke the life out of Logan at that moment.

He thought about the kind of man and father that Keith was. In the lifestyle he'd been raised in, he'd never met a dad like Keith Mars. Of course there was his father, sadistic, hateful and powerful. He was a womanizer who held very little true respect for anyone. Not everyone had been like Aaron, though.

There was Jake, a man that Logan had adored. He remembered so many times that he had wished Jake had been his father. Even Jake though, as kind as he was in comparison to Aaron, was still very career driven. There were many times that he had put his career above his family, but Logan had thought that it would have been paradise. At least he hadn't slept around and beaten his children. Of course, in light of recent events, it appears that Jake wasn't all that faithful to his family. He'd had an affair with Leanne.

It didn't matter, that's the kind of life Logan was used to. All of his friends had parents with high profile lives. Unfortunately, their high profile lives only included their children when family portraits and publicity were on the schedule.

Keith Mars was a man like he'd never met before. Even when they were younger and Keith was busy with his duties as Sheriff, he'd never put his job ahead of his family. Sure there were a few times that he'd miss a family dinner or something, but never any of the important stuff. After all, Aaron probably didn't even know Logan's birthdate.

Logan remembered back to a time when they were at a Hollywood soiree and Aaron had been playing the "doting" father role. He was acting for some hotshot or another. In doing so, he absent-mindedly filled his son's plate with shrimp, clams, crab and lobster. He'd forgotten or never cared enough to learn that his son was deathly allergic to shellfish.

He'd been beaten that night for embarrassing his father when he didn't dig right in and clear the plate his caring father had made for him.

Logan's eyes drifted back to the comatose Keith. No, that man was like none other Logan had ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was honest and tough, but fair. He was scary, but protective. Logan had always wished for the protectiveness that always radiated off of Keith, especially when it came to his daughter. Maybe it wasn't a father thing. Maybe it was just Veronica. Logan understood the kind of protectiveness that Veronica elicited out of people. He was a part of the Veronica-Protector Club himself.

The minute Logan's hand grasped Keith's, all strength was zapped out of his body. His legs trembled just before they gave out. He was on his knees in an instant, pain burning them from the abrupt contact with the hard floor. He was clutching onto Keith's hand as if it were some kind of life line, allowing him to continue breathing in and out.

'In and out, in and out,' the mantra running on a constant loop in his head, the only thing keeping him from collapsing into a complete puddle on the floor.

He wasn't sure what had caused this much emotion in him. He knew that he liked and respected Keith Mars, but he felt guilt, too. Guilt at the hell his father had unleashed on the people he cared about. First his mom and Lilly and the Kanes, then Veronica and Keith. Logan took some of the ownership of his father's evil acts, based on the fact that at least Lilly, Veronica and Keith wouldn't have been in a position to get hurt had it not been for their connection to Logan.

There was something else that Logan was feeling, but he couldn't identify it. It was an emotion that Logan had never really experienced before. He just couldn't quite understand it.

Deep in thought, he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he spun around to see Veronica standing behind him with tears filling her eyes. Her face was the vision of love and compassion and strength.

Strength. He almost had to laugh at that. His little pixie of a girlfriend held more strength in her little finger than most people did in their entire bodies. Logan was in awe of her.

It was her father that was laying there in a coma; she was the one that had been through so much in the last few weeks and the previous year. If she lost her father, she would have no family left, only Wallace, himself and his mother to fulfil her needs and take care of her. Yet she was the one supporting him. In his moment of weakness, her strength only shone brighter, taking on his burdens as her own.

They spent a couple of hours with her father. Occasionally they sat in silence, but for the most part they spoke to him and to each other. They told him about Lynn and what she'd done, the little they knew about the police investigation and about Aaron's death. Logan told him that when he got better, they would make a point to have an annual celebration of the day that Aaron "crossed over."

"It'll be like an annual club gathering, with mom, Veronica, you and me...or a birthday celebration. We'll have cake and ice cream and toast to a better and brighter world without Aaron Echolls in it. Sound like fun?" No one expected Keith to answer, but it's what they'd been doing their entire visit. They would hold full on conversations with him, including asking him questions. It didn't matter that he didn't answer, only that it made it feel more real.

Veronica sat back and watched Logan speak to her father, carrying on like it was any other day. She wondered briefly if he'd ever been as comfortable around his own father as he was while carrying on a one-sided conversation with hers.

When she'd entered the hospital room, she'd expected to find Logan standing patiently, waiting for her to come in. What met her, though, was the sight of the boy she loved shaking, huddled and crying over the only other man she loved as much.

She'd walked up quietly behind him, unsure of what she should do. Should she leave the room and let Logan have a moment to compose himself or should she try to comfort him? The love that she felt for him only grew by seeing his reaction to her father's condition. She had finally decided that she couldn't let him experience that pain by himself. She wasn't sure that there was anything she could say so she just laid her hand on him, hoping to transfer some of her strength to him, hoping that she could be enough for him.

After a morning of talking and laughing and crying with a comatose Keith, they said their goodbye's and headed to the Sheriff's Department. They promised to return the following day. Even if they did attend school on Monday, they would make sure to come by on their way home.

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Their time at the Sheriff's Department went pretty smoothly. Although they had to answer some questions, they weren't raked over the coals like Lynn had been. Veronica knew the least, since she was knocked out before Keith even arrived, let alone Lynn. Although Logan was able to fill in a few of the gaps, he still had only seen Keith for a moment before he was out. They had no idea of the events that occurred between Keith, Aaron and ultimately Lynn, except for what they'd been told.

The police, of course, were interested in what had precipitated the entire course of events. The affair between Aaron and Logan's underage girlfriend was of great interest and a motive for Lilly Kane's death. Even that didn't take up much time in the interview process, since the actual tapes would be the real evidence.

They called Lynn on their way home to see if they should pick up some take out. When she told them that everything had been taken care of, they weren't sure what to think. They figured it out when they walked into the house and took in the aroma of a fine meal being prepared in the kitchen. When they rounded the corner, they saw Lynn clad in an apron and working side by side with Mrs. Navarro.

They broke into uncontrollable giggles as they watched Lynn walking around the kitchen making messes while Mrs. Navarro grumbled playfully in Spanish as she followed behind her, cleaning up.

"What?" Lynn gave them a cheerfully innocent look.

"Nothing, mom, nothing at all." He and Veronica regained their composure.

"Times, they are a-changing." Veronica whispered to Logan.

"That they are. That. They. Are." Logan replied wistfully as he thought back to the shell of a woman Lynn had been just a couple of days prior.

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	43. Chapter 43

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 43

A/N: I had trouble writing this one going since I don't like to skip big time periods (just a personal sickness I have...always wondering what happened when we weren't looking. Maybe it's because RT messed me over so much between seasons. We never got to see LoVe have an actual relationship after S1, then after S2, we never got to see them build their relationship. SUCK!) Anyway, sorry again, for no review replies. I am reading them...I am enjoying them...and I comment back in my head. Between issues, my cleaning schedule and an old whiplash injury acting up...I'm just useless! Hope you enjoy it.

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Thanksgiving was just around the corner. It had been almost a month since the incident in the pool house with Aaron. A month. A month of healing, a month of getting back into a daily routine and a month of Keith's absence. In some ways everything had changed. In some ways, time had stood still.

Lynn was experiencing a whole new life. She'd spent so long under Aaron's control and she was still getting used to the fact that she could go anywhere and do anything she wanted. She could focus on her career, instead of always catering to Aaron's. She could dress however she wanted to, without worrying whether her husband would lose interest...not that her choice in clothes had ever mattered. He was never one to be faithful.

There were times, though, that she thought it was too good to be true. Aaron had spent weeks and even months on location before. She still felt like what she was experiencing was just a break, a vacation while he was away. It hadn't sunk in yet that her situation and Logan's situation without Aaron, was permanent. She knew one thing, though. She could definitely get used to it.

Logan and Veronica had become even more of a team than they had been before. They'd supported and helped each other through the days since Aaron had died and Keith was put into a coma.

They had gone back to school in the middle of the week. Besides the fact that, once again, they looked like they'd been through a meat grinder and still had to move gingerly; they figured that they'd give everyone a few days to digest what had happened and then they would open the floor for discussion.

They had no idea how people would react. Of course everyone would be talking about it...the entire country was talking about it. You couldn't turn on the television without an update on the "Madness Behind Hollywood's Golden Boy."

Logan and Veronica didn't worry about what everyone would say. They did, however, worry about what a few people would say. Duncan topped that list. They had just found out that Logan's dad had killed Duncan's sister. How would Duncan react to that news?

Logan remembered it so clearly. Veronica had driven him to school in the Xterra. He had offered to drive, but Veronica knew that he was still pretty sore. He was trying to cut back on the pain medicine so that he would be alert enough at school. Normally, Logan wouldn't have cared, but they had both missed so much school and were having to work their butts off just to keep up.

When they pulled into the parking lot, it was like everyone just stopped. Conversations stopped and people stood still just to watch them pull in. It was more silent at that moment than it had ever been at Neptune High. It lasted just a moment before people resumed there conversations, albeit with a change in topic.

As soon as they parked, they saw Duncan. He'd been waiting for them to arrive.

"Uh-oh. That's not a good sign." Veronica jerked her head toward Duncan, who had started walking toward them.

"Nope." It was all Logan could think to say. He knew that Duncan was probably going to hit him. What he didn't know, is how he was going to respond. He was sore. Too sore for another physical altercation. Of course, he also knew that adrenaline would take him a long way in forgetting about his pain. The 'fight or flight' instinct for Logan had always ended in a choice of 'fight'. Only, he wasn't sure if he wanted to defend himself to Duncan.

His father had slept with and murdered Duncan's sister. Technically, it wasn't Logan's fault. Unfortunately, he still felt some responsibility there. Did he deserve to fight back, to punch Duncan for fighting for his sister? There was a part of him that wanted to take the abuse Duncan passed out, that wanted to pay for the sins of his father.

They couldn't read anything from his expression as he walked toward them. Just before they got out of the SUV, Logan grabbed Veronica's arm and she looked back at him.

"Stay back a little bit, okay? Just until we know how Duncan is going to react to all of this. I don't want you to get hurt simply because you're in the vicinity of a pissed off Duncan." Veronica normally would have argued that she could take care of herself and that she wanted to be there to help Logan, but she wasn't that girl anymore. Yes, she felt all of those things, she just loved Logan and trusted him enough to know when to back down. His grip was tight on her arm and the look in his eyes was so intense. She knew that he was worried about her so she simply nodded.

They both got out of the SUV slowly as they waited for Duncan to approach. Veronica stayed on the driver's side, while Logan put his hands in his pockets, making himself unable to block a hit from Duncan.

Duncan gave a quick sideways glance across the car to Veronica, but then returned his gaze to his best friend. He stopped a couple of feet in front of Logan and just stood there, looking into his eyes. It was as if he were trying to read something in his friend's eyes.

"So...you alright, man?" Duncan asked softly as he put his hands into his own pockets. That gesture alone would have made Logan breathe easier. Logan knew, though, that the question ran much deeper than it appeared on the surface.

It was a very simple 'guy' question. There was no gushing about everything Logan had been through, no need to recap the sordid details of Aaron's involvement with Lilly and no proclamations of Duncan's undying commitment to their friendship. None of it was said, but it was all there in that one simple question.

On the other hand, Logan didn't ask Duncan if he was mad at him and he didn't apologize profusely for his father's actions, like he wanted. He certainly didn't ask how Duncan and his parents were holding up with the news that Lilly had been murdered by one of their friends or about how they were doing in their new legal battles.

Logan simply nodded his head in the affirmative and told his friend, "Yeah...little sore, but you know." He shrugged. "You hangin'?

Duncan nodded back in the affirmative and then spun around to face Veronica, who had made her way to their side of the car.

"So, everything good here?" Veronica had been paying attention and had understood the deeper subtext beneath the seemingly surface conversation. She could follow their lead.

"Yep, good." Duncan replied, but both boys nodded.

"Well, good. Because it looks like we're the main attraction." Veronica said as she jerked her head toward the crowd of bloodthirsty classmates gathered and awaiting the first sign of discord.

"Ah well, you see..." Duncan began as he wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders and began walking toward the school. "That, my friends, is because everyone is shocked at the fact that I've kept my good looks. The two of you on the other hand...have really let yourselves go. I mean, really. Black eyes, stitches, fat lips? You do know that those are so last season, right?" He added mockingly.

They all busted up laughing. It seemed that Duncan was channeling a little bit of Lilly. He'd never been one to boast about his greatness, whereas Lilly had always made sure that everyone around her was well aware of her fabulousness.

Duncan stopped them all a few feet in front of the door to the school and he dropped his arms from their shoulders. He'd shown a sign of solidarity with his friends for all of the gawkers in the parking lot and he would again when they all entered the building together, laughing and joking.

Before they entered, Duncan needed to say one thing, without being too much of a girl about it. "Really, the Fab Four has been through enough, they can't hurt us any more."

Logan and Veronica knew that he wasn't just talking about the kids at school. He was talking about them, Duncan's parents, the media and Aaron. They'd come so close to having two more lives destroyed by Aaron, but they'd gotten lucky. They were all safe and they'd learned the truth about Lilly's death.

They all smiled at each other as they walked in to face the halls of Neptune High. They entered not as three separate people, but as the three remaining members of the Fab Four, connected by a deeper bond than any of their classmates could truly grasp.

That had been about 3 weeks prior and their friendship had continued to strengthen. The awkwardness of both buddies being in love with the same girl, had faded. They had been reminded of the importance of each other in their own lives.

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Logan and Veronica had also spent that time working feverishly on their bet. They'd agreed that the bet would last for six weeks. They figured that you could do anything for a month, but it would take true commitment to keep it going for a full six weeks. Besides, at that point, they hadn't even been a couple for six weeks. They had joked that they wouldn't be able to break up because they had to see who would win.

They had done all of the normal things. There were hearts and teddy bears, flowers and chocolates, even some embarrassing public displays of affection. Veronica had gotten used to coming out of her bathroom every morning after getting ready for school, only to be greeted by freshly picked flowers on her dresser.

He always seemed to be waiting for her where ever she went. Whether she was walking out of class or out of Mars Investigations. When he ordered food at school, he would always pick something that he knew she was craving. If it was pizza, he'd always order it the way she liked it.

Logan had been shocked at all of the ways Veronica could surprise him. Whether it was breaking into his locker to leave gifts like snickerdoodles, or his gym locker where she replaced his boxers with a pair that stated "Property of Veronica" on the butt. She would jump out at him from around a corner at school just to say "hi".

They had fun trying to top each other and it gave them a distraction from the heavier topics of Keith's health and the tabloid reports about Aaron that continued to plague the magazines in the grocery store checkout lines.

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It was Thanksgiving Day. In previous years, if they were even home for the holiday, Mrs. Navarro had prepared The Echolls' dinner and had stayed to clean up. At that point she would return home to celebrate a late dinner with her family.

Lynn, Logan and Veronica had decided to change things up a bit, though. This particular year, they'd decided that they were going to include Mrs. Navarro and her family in their celebration. Lynn and Veronica would help Lettie prepare the meal, which in reality meant that they would be learning from her how to prepare Thanksgiving dinner.

Logan, Weevil and Weevil's young cousins stayed out of the kitchen. Instead they spent their time watching football and playing video games. Weevil and Logan even played a little bit of poker, just for fun.

Logan had to chuckle at the fact that his horizons were expanding. At the beginning of the school year, he never would have imagined spending Thanksgiving, willingly with Veronica, let alone Weevil. Weevil and Logan, though, had come to a silent understanding after Veronica's kidnapping. It was a mutual respect and knowledge of just what the other would do to protect Veronica. She was their one common thread, but her shoulders were broad enough to carry that responsibility.

As it was, Logan and Weevil had found plenty to talk about, mostly related to one bind or another that Veronica had gotten herself in to.

Despite a rocky start, in and out of the kitchen, they'd ended up having a pretty great day. The food turned out fantastic and although it'd been a major amount of work, it'd been worth it.

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After they finished dinner, Veronica and Logan left for the hospital. They'd promised Keith that he wouldn't spend Thanksgiving alone. They'd even brought a platter of leftovers for the nursing staff and a special plate for Keith. It didn't matter that he was in a coma, he should still have his Thanksgiving celebration.

"Hey Dad! We're here!" Veronica announced as they walked into her father's room. She reached his bedside and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead.

"Who's your Daddy?"

Veronica jumped about a foot in the air at the sound of her father's voice.

"Holy Crap!" Logan yelled as he grabbed her arm. Veronica looked at him with huge eyes, her breathing coming quick and heavy.

She quickly looked back at Keith and waited. When his eyes opened and focused on hers, a smile spread across his face.

"I'm back, honey."

Veronica burst into tears and collapsed in Logan's arms. It was so sudden and took Logan by surprise. She almost slipped away from him, but he held onto her as he slowly let them sink to the floor.

Keith was shocked at her response. He'd been planning this since he woke in the wee hours that morning. He hadn't meant to reduce his action-figure daughter into a puddle of tears, but he had.

He peered over the edge of his bed at the kids huddled together on the floor. "Logan?"

"She's okay, Mr. Mars. It's just been a long month without you...for all of us." It was then that Keith noticed the tears in Logan's eyes, too.

Keith nodded at the young man. "Honey, it's okay. I'm fine and I'm going to be coming home in a few days."

At that, Veronica got up and launched herself onto her father. She was still crying, but she looked at him and blurted out, "Daddy, I love you. You can't leave me, do you understand that? I need you, okay?"

She was holding his face with both of her hands and her sincerity broke Keith's heart. "You don't need to worry about that, Veronica. There is no way I'm going to leave you here unsupervised...with your boyfriend."

Keith winked at Logan, letting him know that he truly did trust Logan with Veronica, but he was always one to try to lighten the mood.

Veronica and Logan stayed and talked with Keith for about a half an hour. They would have stayed longer, but his strength didn't allow him to stay awake for more than short bursts. His body was still exhausted. They'd had a chance to give him his turkey dinner, though. Veronica had fed him because he was still so weak and he ate it like it was the best food on earth.

He blamed the affects of the turkey for his fatigue and they all laughed. Before they left Veronica and Logan gave Keith goodbye hugs and Keith had been surprised by the strength of Logan's embrace. He felt Logan's care for him and the boy's fear of losing him.

Before his coma, Keith had begun to feel a sense of pride in Logan and had grown fond of the time they spent together. He hadn't wanted to step on Aaron's toes as an important male figure in Logan's life, but Logan had become important to him.

First, the boy had taken care of Keith's most precious possession, his Veronica. He'd proven his willingness to try to protect her at all costs and he'd shown the depth of his love for her. He'd been respectful to Keith and they'd all enjoyed some wonderful times of levity together.

Until that hug, Keith wasn't sure about Logan's feelings toward him. The hug showed that he'd grown as attached to Keith as the older man had to him, though.

When the kids left, Keith smiled as he drifted off to sleep. 'Yep, I've got a great family.' And that's just what he considered Logan...family.

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	44. Chapter 44

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 44

A/N: We're coming to the end. Almost there.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Free At Last"

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A week after Thanksgiving and Keith waking up, he was released from the hospital. It had been a long week for everyone. While he was in a coma, Veronica had thought that everything would be great if her father would just wake up. What she didn't realize is that it would actually get worse before it got better. Sure, she was ecstatic to know that he would live and eventually make a full recovery. What she didn't know is how much more she would miss him before he was allowed to come home.

Knowing that her father was awake and in the hospital, Veronica just wanted to bring him home and spend time with him. The longest she'd ever been away from her father was a week. They were going on five weeks by the time he was finally released and she thought she'd go crazy. She often had to stop herself from thinking of the 'what-ifs'. What if he'd stayed in a coma? What if he'd actually died at the hands of Aaron Echolls? How would she have dealt with never being able to see him again?

She couldn't let herself think about those questions. When she did, she would break down into uncontrollable sobs. She would be scared until the day he came home and she could watch him as he got stronger and stronger. She knew she'd still worry. Her father being so close to death had really brought the realities of his dangerous job to light. Sure, she had gotten into more than enough scrapes for any seventeen year old, but that was easier to handle. It was easier for her to think about her own death, than that of her father's. She figured she was being pretty selfish. Between dying and leaving her father to mourn her loss alone or him dying and leaving her, she'd pick the former any day. Her one comfort was knowing that she had Lynn and Logan.

Keith couldn't wait to leave the hospital. He was glad that he hadn't been awake for his entire hospital stay. He knew he'd be out of his mind. Although he was eternally grateful to the Echolls' for taking care of Veronica, it wasn't good enough. He wanted to be there for her. He wanted to ask her about her day, enjoy 'dessert for dinner' nights and bantering around about her boyfriend, knowing that it would just make him nervous. He couldn't wait to get home, although he didn't know what to expect from their new living arrangements. Lynn, Logan, Keith and Veronica...one big, happy family. Keith chuckled at the idea of it.

It was amazing how much could change in such a short amount of time. Had it just been a couple of months prior that he and Veronica were living in their rundown two-bedroom apartment? Veronica had just started dating the new boy, Troy? Aaron Echolls was still an adored movie star and Lilly Kane's murder was still a mystery. Logan still hated Veronica with everything in him and the paternity of his daughter had been a question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to.

Yes, things could certainly change in such a short amount of time.

Lynn and Logan had also had a big week. Logan had taken it upon himself to act as Veronica's entertainer, protector, comforter and schedule keeper. He made it his goal to try to keep her mind off of the countdown running in her mind until the day Keith would be allowed to come home. It wasn't that his strong girlfriend couldn't take care of herself, he knew she could. He also knew that she was on edge awaiting her father's release and Logan wanted to take care of her.

He had also spent much of the week making plans with Lynn for Keith's homecoming. During the times that Veronica really wanted to talk about her father, Logan would discreetly ask her questions about his likes and dislikes. He was able to find out all sorts of interesting tidbits about Keith, including his food likes and dislikes, his favorite colors and his tastes when it came to home decor. All information that he and Lynn used to prepare for his arrival.

Keith was released on the basis that he would have nurses come in and check on him twice a day, would keep regular check-ups with his doctors and would continue the physical therapy he'd started while still hospitalized. He still had a tremendous amount of recovery ahead of him. Lynn and Logan, though, had made arrangements to have everything Keith needed at his fingertips.

Lynn had his things moved into a room on the lower floor. It had been Aaron's office with an adjoining bathroom and double doors that opened into a meeting/lounge room, of sorts. She'd removed everything of Aaron's and all of the furniture in the attached room. They'd used the information Logan had gleaned regarding Keith's tastes to decorate the room in rich colors of reds and oranges with dark leather and African Mahogany wood furniture imported from Ghana. It was amazing what you could accomplish in a short amount of time with a virtual endless amount of resources.

When Keith arrived home, he was welcomed by a designer room that was lavish, but undeniably masculine. He was able to move through the room with ease and walked through a set of french doors that led to what could only be described as a physical therapist's dream. Any machine, equipment or supplies that his physical therapist or nurses would need was stocked in that room. When he was ready to start doing the exercises on his own, he'd have full access to the equipment at any time of the day.

Keith had been shocked to learn that Lynn and Logan had opened their home to he and Veronica. Needless to say, he was in awe when he saw all of the care they'd taken to rearranging two rooms of their house for him...including fully equipping a physical therapy/exercise room. He was so thankful to them for all that they'd done.

Veronica had also been shocked at just how much Lynn had accomplished. After living with Lynn and Logan while her father was in a coma, she knew that Lynn would take care of him. She just hadn't even imagined that she'd do as much as she had. She knew that her father would have some in-home care with nurses visiting twice a day, but she'd fully expected to have to drive her dad to all of his other required appointments. He was set to have physical therapy three to four times a week, plus appointments with someone who would assist him with his fine motor skills twice a week. Instead, Lynn had arranged to have everything brought to him and Veronica couldn't express how grateful she was to the woman.

It wasn't until the day they brought Keith home that Veronica realized how much of a role Logan had played in her father's accommodations. Logan and Lynn had left Veronica and Keith alone in his room. They figured that the two could use some father/daughter time. She had stayed and talked to Keith for a little while, but it became obvious that he was exhausted from the transition. She left his room, allowing him to get some rest.

Veronica had heard voices in the kitchen on her way through the foyer. She stopped when she heard the conversation between Logan, Lynn and some of the staff.

"Honey, you've done a great job in preparing for Keith's homecoming." Lynn said with obvious pride in her voice. "You've thought of everything."

"Well, not everything. You're the one who had the idea of using Aaron's office and lounge for a suite." Logan replied in an uncharacteristically humble moment.

"Well, what else is on your list, honey?"

Veronica positioned herself out of sight, not because she thought she needed to hide, more out of habit of needing to eavesdrop and sneak around during cases. As she peered into the room, she could see Logan's profile as he was perched on a stool at the kitchen bar, while his mother and several members of their household staff looked at him expectantly.

"Well, first of all," Logan was directing his comments to the staff. "Mom and I just want to thank all of you for your willingness to really step up and help Mr. Mars during his recovery. We can't thank you enough. That being said, we still have plenty to do to make his recovery as easy and painless as possible."

"Mrs. Navarro," Veronica watched as Logan placed his hand over the older woman's. " I've made a list of all of the foods that Keith likes and dislikes and that the doctor says that he should be eating to assist with his recovery. If you could make the menu to fit those criteria, that would be great. Also, a nurse will be in two times a day for awhile to help him with his medical needs. Veronica and I will be at school, so you're going to need to check on him at least once an hour to see if he needs anything else." Logan was stopped by his mother's voice.

"Oh, actually, I'll be helping with that, too." At Logan's stunned look, she shrugged. "Well, it's not like I have anything else to do."

Logan just smiled at his mother. He knew that Lynn was eternally grateful to Keith for saving Logan and Veronica, even though he put his own life at risk.

"Okay, then. Count mom in as a worker bee. Hmmm..." Veronica saw Logan flipping through a pad of paper he'd taken some notes on and then started speaking again.

"It will be awhile before he can drive. Mr. Sanders, you will need to make yourself available to him." Logan said to his father's driver. "He shouldn't need to go too many places anytime soon, but just in case he does, he will need someone to drive him while we're at school."

Logan turned to the grounds keeper. "Look, I know this isn't your job, but Backup is going to need to be let in and out. I know he'll want to stay with Keith during his recovery, but Keith won't be able to let him in and out all day long. Also, he's usually a very active man. It's going to drive him nuts to have to stay inside a lot. If you could bring in some fresh cut flowers, maybe a couple of potted plants just to brighten up his room, that would be helpful."

"Oh, and FYI, I've started a Netflix account for him and I'll be showing him how to pick out movies himself. The first three movies should be arriving tomorrow though. If you see them, take them into Keith. He's going to be bored and the movies will help, along with the magazines that I subscribed to for him."

Logan rubbed his forehead roughly, then ran his fingers through his hair. "Ugh! I know I'm forgetting something. What am I forgetting..." He was frustrated with himself. He didn't expect perfection, but he wanted to get as close as possible for Keith. He wanted to be prepared for any need, desire or whim that Keith might have while recovering.

"OH! The refrigerator. There is a mini-fridge by Mr. Mars' bed. I've already stocked it with a lot of his favorites, but we're all going to need to keep an eye on it to make sure it stays stocked."

"Well, I guess that's it, people. Let's just try to do everything we can to make his recovery as easy as possible. He's a strong, proud man. Pamper him, but don't let him know he's being pampered."

"Treat him like one of the family." Veronica could hear the tremble in Logan's voice and noticed him fidgeting with his sleeves. "After everything he and Veronica and we have been through, he might as well be family."

Veronica had tears in her eyes as she silently slipped away, and walked toward her bedroom.

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Logan had finished talking to his mother and went to Keith's room to check on Veronica, but she wasn't there. Seeing that Keith was asleep, he knew Veronica must have left so her father could rest.

When he knocked on her bedroom door and there was no answer, he began to get a little nervous. Yes, all of the dangers to her had been neutralized, either in jail awaiting trial or dead, but that fear still wrapped tightly around his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. He wasn't sure how long it would take before he'd be able to be away from her without wondering if she was in some kind of trouble.

He walked to his room, hoping that she'd be waiting for him in there. As soon as he opened the door, he stopped dead in his tracks. Laying on his bed was a crisp, white, button-down shirt, a plaid mini-skirt, knee-high socks and a pair of black Mary Janes. He walked closer to read a note that had been left on the outfit.

"You win...any time...any place."

Logan looked up as Veronica emerged from his bathroom. "What's this for? There's still a week left on the bet."

Veronica just smiled at him, tears still present in her eyes. "It's just what the note says. You win, Logan. Don't get me wrong, I love you so much it hurts, but you are amazing. You arranged all of this for my father without making a big deal out of it. Why? Why did you do all of that?"

Veronica watched Logan duck his head as if he was embarrassed. "I don't know Veronica. I really like your dad. He's got a hard road ahead and I want him to be as comfortable as possible." Logan was really uncomfortable. He'd never expected her to find out about his involvement with her father's homecoming.

"He's your father, Veronica. You love him and I want to help you take care of him. Truthfully, though, my reasons are more selfish. In the years that I've known you and especially in the weeks leading up to his run-in with Aaron, he treated me more like a son than my own father ever had. I never really understood the relationship that you had with him. I was always confused by the fact that you WANTED to spend time with your parents. I mean, come on, what teenager wants to spend time with their dad, especially their gun-toting Sheriff turned P.I. dad. But, I finally understand it and I want as much of that relationship as possible. Plus, to top it all off, he stepped in at a time when my own father would have killed us both."

Logan wasn't used to opening up this much, especially when he was talking about a guy. He felt the need to deflect some of the attention back onto Veronica.

"Plus, I know you'll be helping him out as much as you can. The more you help him out, the less time you spend with me...and THAT is just NOT acceptable." They broke into laughter at Logan's obvious attempt to change the subject.

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In the weeks following Keith's release from the hospital, everything at the Echolls' estate was focused on recovery and moving on.

Lynn had made it her mission to be fully involved in Keith's recovery. She felt indebted to him and a little guilty that her sadistic husband had caused so much pain to so many people. She had always thought that his scope of violence was limited just to his family, specifically, Logan. She'd lived with an unbearable amount of guilt and the feeling of pure powerlessness to change the situation. Her one reprieve was knowing that Logan would have a chance to escape. He would turn eighteen, he would go off to college, he would be free at last.

She never imagined a scenario like the one she was living. One that would have her caring for the man who had almost died at the hands of Aaron after he'd attempted to kill Logan and Veronica, all to cover up the actual murder of Lilly Kane. In her life of wealth and fame, she'd experienced a lot of situations that people would deem 'surreal'. She truly felt that 'surreal' defined her new existence.

Lynn had thought that she was doing everything she could to help Keith. Help Keith recover from his injuries, help Keith get back on his feet financially, help Keith care for Veronica until he was better able. What she didn't bargain for was everything that she got back from him. For everything she was doing for him, he was there as much for her.

Keith and Lynn spent a lot of time just talking, laughing and walking around the complex as Keith grew stronger. There were hours upon hours where Keith was too physically exhausted to do anything, but rest. In those times, Lynn would join him. They would talk about everything and Lynn began opening up more and more about her life with Aaron. It was amazing how wonderful it felt to finally find someone who wasn't like the superficial people she'd grown so accustomed to. She had forgotten how genuine and trustworthy "normal" people were. She would joke about her therapy sessions with him and ask him how much she owed him. Keith would just laugh and tell her that they were even. Without her, he was sure he would have died of boredom. It may seem like a dream to be able to sit around and do nothing while surfing 400 channels, but after the first couple of days, he knew he'd found a treasure in Lynn's company.

It was a horrible thought, but the truth was, Lynn had come to life since Aaron's death. She'd been able to relax and be herself. There was a freedom in not being part of the publicity machine that had become her family. In previous years, she'd forgotten who she was and Keith watched as she slowly began to remember.

Although Logan and Veronica had recovered from their injuries while Keith was still in the hospital, they were just beginning to regain some sense of normalcy. They had spent the weeks of Keith's recovery focusing on school, renewing their friendships with Duncan, Wallace and even Weevil sometimes, and then rushing home to be with Keith. They both spent as much time as they could with him.

Veronica hated that he was home alone all day with nothing to do. She and Logan assumed that he spent his days doing nothing, but watching television and working with his physical therapist. They wanted to make sure that he felt loved and knew that they were there for him.

Although she and Logan spent all of their free time together, they hadn't really spent much time actually 'dating'. They'd been too busy just trying to help her father and focus on school. They were determined that they would eventually have a normal relationship. In the meantime, all of the time they spent together just drew them closer and closer.

The entire household had been given a true wake up call to the importance of the people in their lives and they did their best to appreciate their new little quasi-family. They enjoyed a low-key, but very traditional family Christmas together. Being new to low-key, Logan and Lynn took their cue from the Mars'.

New Year's Eve was finally upon them and Logan had decided to cash in on his and Veronica's bet. He told her to be dressed and ready for a night to remember. They were both excited that they were finally able to start focusing on each other once again.

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	45. Chapter 45

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 45

A/N: This is a shorter chapter, but if I didn't cut it off where I did, I figured that it would be really long. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. And, I have to continue apologizing for no replies to the reviews. I've just not had the time to do much. Even posting the chapters has been late at night and then I'm too exhausted to spend much time on it. There are so many I've wanted to comment back on, believe me.

ALSO, just so you know, I don't own AFFECT or EFFECT. For the life of me, in 30 years I have not been able to get those two straight. And, I was just too lazy this time to look them up and try to decipher which one I should be using in the 2 instances I used them in this chapter. If anyone wants to enlighten me which spelling I should be using for each of the instances, you are more than welcome. I will change them so that they are not a nuisance to those who read in the future. THANKS!

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"Logan, I can't believe you are making me wear this to a New Year's Eve party. You'd better make sure Dick is no where near me." Veronica was lightly chastising Logan, although she trusted that he would protect her in any circumstance. She was just giving him a hard time since she was going to be parading around in her catholic school girl outfit in front of a bunch of 09ers.

"Aw, Sugarpuss! You'll be fine." Veronica rolled her eyes at the fact that Logan didn't seem phased at all by her complaints.

"Besides, have I told you how good you look in that little outfit of yours." He growled and his eyes swept up and down her body, emphasizing his point.

"In fact, I believe that this was one of my best ideas EVER." Logan chuckled at her 'unimpressed' expression.

"Yeah, and don't think I didn't notice your outfit, Logan." She looked pointedly at him.

"What?" His face was the vision of innocence, but she knew better.

"Don't think you're fooling me. I know that," she pointed at his clothing, "that is the same outfit you were wearing that day in the A/V room when we read Duncan's journal. You know, the same shirt that I said looked like it was made by the gods just for you." She had a twinkle in her eye.

Veronica thought it was hilarious that he felt the need to try to recreate a look that she liked. If he really understood how she thought, he would know that she thought he looked great in anything. In fact, everything he wore was a turn-on for her, but she was easily more turned on by a single look from him. He really had no idea how much of an affect he had on her.

It was funny, too, since he'd always had one of the biggest egos around. He never needed anyone to tell him he looked good, he always just knew it. Veronica knew, though, that his ego had deflated a bit when they first started to become friends again. He was so ashamed of how he'd behaved while they were enemies that he didn't feel like he deserved her. He was never as cocky after that. Veronica told herself, at that moment that she would make a point to tell him all of the time how attracted she was to him.

"You know, it's funny, really. That was at a time when I was so confused about what I felt for you and I was trying to avoid thinking about it. When I saw you that day, when I watched this shirt stretch across your back and arm muscles when you bent down to pick up that box of tapes for Duncan, I couldn't deny how great you looked." Logan was grinning almost shyly and listening intently to her words. Veronica knew that she was making him feel good and she loved it. She loved his response and the look in his eyes. Mostly, she loved that she had the ability to elicit that response from him. She wondered in awe, at the effect his feelings had on her own. She wanted nothing more than to keep that grin on his face.

"It wasn't until later that I realized that it doesn't matter what you wear, you look amazing in anything. From layers to sweaters to short sleeves to your swim trunks with no shirt as your getting out of the pool and the droplets of water are running down your body and the sun is shining down, highlighting your hair even more." She made a cat-like purring noise. "You're just yummy."

"Really?" His eyes widened as he chuckled.

"Of course, Logan. You just don't understand how attracted I am to you." She stood on her tip toes and gave him a chaste kiss, before being pulled into a bone crushing hug, with an equally passionate kiss. When they separated, they stood there, foreheads together just looking at each other, still wrapped in each other's arms.

"Are you sure we have to go to this party? I'm sure we could find something to do around here." Veronica was hopeful that she could entice him to just spend the evening with her.

"Yep, time to go. Don't worry, it won't be too bad," Logan said as he led her to his SUV.

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Lynn and Keith had left earlier in the evening for a dinner out. They were going totally low-key for New Year's. They would come home and maybe watch a movie before retiring early. Keith still needed to take care of his body and that included keeping up on his sleep. He was returning to work after the New Year and didn't want to get off to a rocky start.

Keith and Lynn expected the kids to be out for most of the night, but as long as they were together, they'd be safe. Over the previous couple of months, Veronica and Logan had made it their mission to care for and protect each other. New Year's Eve wouldn't be any different.

Veronica couldn't help but think of how convenient it was that her father wouldn't be seeing her in her outfit. If he'd been home, she probably would have opted to wear another outfit when she left the house and then change later. As it was, she brought a second outfit to wear home just in case her dad wasn't asleep when they returned.

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After leading her to the Xterra, Logan walked over to his side of the SUV and climbed in. Turning to Veronica, he asked her, "do you trust me?"

She didn't hesitate. "Of course. I trust you with my life."

Her response warmed him. It wasn't just her words, but the look of absolute trust that shined back at him. He knew that she meant it and even if he didn't deserve it after how he'd treated her the year before, he was determined to work every day, until he did.

"Okay. Then, I need you to put on a blindfold." When she raised an eyebrow at him, he continued. "I just want it to be a surprise."

"Where, then, is this blindfold thing you speak of?"

Logan pulled it out and she helped him secure it into place. When the blindfold was on, Logan watched as Veronica sat back in her seat, facing forward, with a smile of excitement on her face.

'She really does trust me,' he thought to himself. He always thought that she was beautiful, but seeing the look on her face and the absolute trust spelled out in her body language made her even more beautiful to him.

Before he could stop himself, he was leaning across the center console and capturing her lips with his own. She was surprised at first, but quickly turned toward him and began to participate fully in the kiss. When they parted, they both had huge smiles on their faces.

"Wow! What was that for?" Veronica asked Logan, who was still mere inches from her face. His hand was still caressing the end of her hair and she could feel his warm breath on her face.

"Just for being you. You are amazing and I haven't told you that enough lately."

"Awww, you're so sweet...now MOVE, Jeeves. I have a date to get to." Logan chuckled and just shook his head at her antics.

They'd been driving for about ten minutes, by Veronica's estimation. Even as much as she tried to calculate their location by logging the turns Logan had taken, she had to admit that she was completely lost. All she knew was that ten minutes of driving still kept them in the 09er district, which she had expected anyway. Logan had always partied at one of his friends' house on New Year's Eve. She just couldn't figure out which one and it was driving her crazy.

Did it really matter which of his obnoxious 09er friends' house they were going to? No. Although she trusted Logan completely and had really learned to relax a bit while living at the Echolls' house, she still couldn't avoid trying to solve a mystery. This date, as big or as small as it was, was a mystery. It was her natural instinct to try to decipher the timing of stops and turns that they were taking.

When they finally pulled to a stop, Logan leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He gave her leg a little squeezed as he whispered into her ear that they had arrived. Veronica could hear the excitement in Logan's voice and it made her giddy.

"Stay right there, I'm going to come around and get you, okay?" When she nodded, he moved to leave the vehicle, but turned around to address her again. "No peeking, not yet."

Veronica smiled and giggled in nervous excitement as she waited for Logan. She had no idea why she should feel so happy. They were going to be around all of the kids that she'd hated with a passion for so long...and to top it off, she was in costume! She couldn't help it though, Logan's excitement was rubbing off on her.

She heard her door open and a hand grab her arm. "This way, my love."

She followed Logan's voice and when she got out of the Xterra, he wrapped her protectively in his arms from behind. He walked her forward, his solid frame wrapped around her, the entire way. Finally, they stopped and she heard him open a door. She stopped him when he began to move them forward again.

"Logan, where are we? Where is everyone and the music?" She knew that they were, well, somewhere, but there were no sounds that you would generally relate to that of a party.

"Just one...more...minute." Logan replied as he prodded her forward.

"Ooh, it's nice and toasty in here." Veronica was happy to feel the warmth on her skin. They may have lived in California, but it was still the middle of winter. The little outfit she was wearing did not do much for keeping her warm.

"Ah, finally," she exclaimed when she felt Logan tugging at her blindfold. She was ready to see what it was that he had in store for her.

When the blindfold came off and her eyes focused, she gasped. "Oh, Logan. It's beautiful. Where are we?"

She was awestruck, but then remembered something else and became more serious, "And where is everybody else?"

"Nope, not going to tell you where we are yet. As for everyone else...this is it. It's you and me, sweets," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her once again.

"Really? Just us? Don't you want to party with all of your friends?"

"Not really. I always have the best time when I'm with you. Plus, you've become my best friend. We've spent so much time together...I don't need to hang out at a big party to have a great time. Just you and me. Besides, you didn't think that I was actually going to dress up my girlfriend in that outfit and parade her around, did you? Noooo, this pleasure is all mine."

"Oh, Logan," she breathed out. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

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	46. Chapter 46

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 46

A/N: I really hope you enjoy it. Remember, even though this is ch. 46, there are still some things I'm very new at. Thanks!! Hope you're not tired of reviewing cause I'd love to hear your comments on this chapter.

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Veronica stood, still snug in Logan's embrace as she slowly surveyed the room in front of her.

"Where are we?" She asked again, awe lacing every word.

"Welcome to our very own mountain cabin." He whispered in her ear and then placed a kiss on her head.

"MOUNTAIN cabin?" Veronica looked at him skeptically.

"Well, our very own mountain cabin," Logan paused as he thought for a moment, "here in Neptune." Veronica just smiled and shook her head.

Then, it dawned on her. "Like Colorado?"

"Yeah," Logan said quietly as he ducked his head.

Veronica had told him once that she'd love to stay in a cabin in Colorado during the winter so she could experience a real winter. Not the California version of winter, with its warm weather and artificial Christmas trees. "You remembered."

Logan just shrugged.

"You're not going to tell me where we really are, are you?"

"Nope. Not just yet." Veronica knew that she wouldn't get him to budge so she decided to forget about it for the time being. It didn't really matter where they were, just that they were together and no one else was around.

"It's amazing. Really, Logan. It's perfect." Veronica said as she pulled away from him to walk around the room. Logan watched her, basking in her positive reaction to all of the work he'd put into the surprise.

She ran her hand along the wall, feeling the smooth knots, confirming that it truly was made out of genuine wood logs. Beautifully painted landscapes of wild flowers, brooks and streams and snow-capped mountains adorned the walls. The brown and rust red colors used in the room complimented the fine wood furniture spread throughout and there was a heavy chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. It was made out of elk antlers and added to the ambiance of the room. Veronica's eyes were drawn to the massive fireplace in the center of one of the walls. It was surrounded by a large stone mantle and contained a roaring, crackling fire that filled the room with warmth. Veronica noticed that the air conditioner was running so that the further away from the fireplace, the cooler it got. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the Evergreen scented candles and knew that Logan had thought of every detail while setting the scene.

Veronica stopped walking when she came to the beautiful bear skin rug laid in front of the fireplace. There, Logan had set up a small picnic that included a couple of hors d'oeuvres and some chocolate covered strawberries. What Veronica noticed immediately, though, were the Ferrero Rocher candies stacked into a large pyramid in the middle of the rest of the food. Those had always been her favorites, but it'd been a while since she'd had them. They were a luxury for her and she couldn't believe that Logan had remembered how much she adored them.

As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, he spoke up. "Do you remember the first time you introduced me to those?"

Veronica smiled shyly. "Yeah."

It had been the first time that Logan had actually seen a passionate side to the pink and fluffy Veronica of the old days. She had impressed him that day with her forcefulness. She had instructed him on how to eat the small chocolate balls of goodness in the "correct" way, as she put it.

She had shown him how to use his teeth to remove the chocolatey outer layer without disturbing the inner chamber. Then, after carefully splitting the chamber open; she showed him how to empty the fudge contents with his tongue. You then were to chew up the hazelnut and finish off by popping in the crispy halves of the core.

She had been so meticulous and so adamant that he learn the proper way. She felt that otherwise, he was just disrespecting the greatness of the candy and should not be allowed any more. He'd followed her instructions to the letter that day. He was hypnotized by the take charge attitude she'd adopted. She was always in the shadow of Lilly Kane and never really fought for anything, especially when it came to someone like Logan, who had a huge personality. He was transfixed by the fact that she chose a piece of candy, of all things, to be forceful about.

"You know, I learned something very valuable that day." Logan was looking deeply into her eyes.

"What was that? The proper way to eat arguably the best candy EVER created?"

"Nope. Well yes, that, too. I learned who you really were that day. The girl who lived behind the soft pink exterior, behind the girl who always looked up to Lilly and yet was never truly seen because of her. I saw you and man, you were HOT!" They cracked up laughing.

"Really?" Veronica laughed at the lecherous look Logan was giving her.

"Hell, yeah. I'm still not sure if it was because it was the first time I saw that take control attitude of yours or just the way your tongue expertly worked the fudge out, but...Ow!" Logan feigned hurt as he rubbed his arm where Veronica had jokingly punched him.

"What? You asked! Plus, this isn't a game of truth or dare with Lilly and Duncan. You don't have to pretend to be shocked that I think you're hot."  
Logan looked at the stack of candies and waggled his eyebrows. "You want to see if I still remember the proper way to eat them?

They both grabbed a candy and began to remove the golden wrappers. They each ate their candy according to the approved method until they reached the fudge. Logan watched as Veronica used her tongue to remove the fudge from hers.

"What?" She asked when she noticed him watching her.

"Here." Logan handed her his. "Finish mine."

He held it to her mouth with one hand and cradled her cheek in his other hand as she removed the fudge in the same fashion as before. She looked into his eyes as she licked. She watched the lust as it took over his gaze. His eyes darkened and held an intensity she couldn't deny.

Logan slowly lowered the candy away from her mouth and watched as she licked the remnants off of her lips. She was watching him, breathing deeply, waiting for his next move. She was relying on him to lead her to where they both wanted to go.

He rubbed his thumb gently across her cheek and she leaned into his touch, not removing her gaze from his for a moment. Logan slowly pulled her toward him as he moved closer.

When they were just a couple of inches apart, Logan spoke to her in a husky voice. "You are so beautiful."

He leaned in and lightly swept his tongue over her lips. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers as he whispered, "Mmmm, and you taste so good."

Before she could respond, he was kissing and licking his way down her jaw, to her ear and then onto her neck and chest.

Veronica's body was humming with anticipation as soon as his lips began traveling her skin. She placed one hand on his waist and the other in his hair.

Her body was screaming out commands to her brain. 'Closer, bring him closer. Don't hurt him. Don't pull his hair too much. Kiss him! No, don't make him stop what he's doing now.'

As he continued his assault on her neck and chest, his hands slid up her waist and over her ribs. When both of his thumbs simultaneously swept over her nipples, she moaned and arched her back begging him for more. He groaned in response and his kisses became more aggressive. He was sucking and nipping at her everywhere and she felt like she was going to explode from such simple acts.

The only coherent thought left in Veronica's head was that she wanted to touch him. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. She positioned herself so that she could kiss his face and he allowed her to take over as she kissed her way down his neck.

Logan had spent their entire relationship trying to reign in his desire for her. Although she never liked to admit it, he knew that every sexual experience she'd had was tainted. Even if she had been an active participant when she lost her virginity to Duncan, her power to consent had been taken away the moment she was drugged. The sexual moments she shared with Duncan during their relationship had also been overshadowed by the mistrust created by his actions when he broke up with her. Of course, every kiss and touch of Troy's was remembered with a shudder at what could have happened.

Logan loved her and he wanted to take care of her. He wanted to wait until the perfect time, when he knew that they had built enough trust in their relationship, that she would feel safe with him. She needed to know that she was protected, physically and emotionally; just as he knew that she would protect him.

Now, though, his fantasies of being with her were becoming a reality and he wanted to replace all of her previous experiences with what they should have been. Her taking control just showed him that she wanted this as much as he wanted her.

Logan was on sensory overload. He had never been so turned on by kisses and basic touches. She had barely gotten started and he was already light-headed. He had to close his eyes because watching her only made his feelings more intense and overwhelming.

Logan leaned back on his hands as Veronica kissed down his chest while unbuttoning his shirt. Every part of her body was like an instrument in an orchestra. Each adding its own excitement and emotion. The most obvious effect came from the work her lips, tongue and teeth were performing. They seared each spot that she kissed, sucked, licked and bit. Then her breath would send a chill rippling across his skin. Her hands and finger tips caressed his skin with expert precision as they traveled over his chest, shoulders and arms, removing his shirt as they advanced.

Logan ran his hand through her hair at the feeling of it brushing lightly over his abdomen. When he felt her breasts brushing his lap and her hands treading under his waistline, he knew that it was his turn again. He gently grabbed her cheek and lifted her chin so that she was looking up at him.

The mixture of love and desire he saw in her eyes only served to unravel him even more. He brought her face to his and kissed her with as much of himself as he could pour into it. It was the only way he could communicate everything he was feeling at that moment. He just hoped she understood what he was trying to say.

It sometimes scared Veronica that things with Logan seemed to be so easy. She sometimes wondered if she'd wake up one day and realize it was all a dream. Nothing could be as easy as being with Logan had been. Sure, they had minor disagreements, but they never wanted to be anywhere, but with each other.

In that moment, though, Veronica was so grateful for the comfort that had developed between them. They hadn't talked about this moment. They hadn't discussed whether they'd have sex or not. They hadn't verbally expressed their desire to complete their relationship and there hadn't been any awkward 'should we, shouldn't we' moments.

No words had to be spoken for them both to know where the night was going to end. Veronica loved, that although she was nervous about sex in general, she wasn't at all nervous about Logan. She trusted him completely and knew that she wouldn't be there with him if she didn't.

Logan took Veronica's lead and began to unbutton her shirt. He kissed his way down her shoulders as he slid it off of her. He could feel her bra sliding against his chest as he brought her closer and sucked on her neck. He pulled back just enough to release her from her bra, but immediately drew her in again. He wanted to give her a moment to adjust to being half naked with him, but he also loved the feel of her bare skin against his.

He could feel the hardened pebbles of her nipples rubbing against him. Being that they were in front of the fire and warm enough, it aroused him knowing that the state of her body was a sign of her own arousal.

When he finally did look down on her body, his mouth went dry. He had more experience with the nude female body than any boy his age probably should. None of that experience, though, had prepared him for the sight that was his Ronnie. Her hair was slightly mused and her lips swollen from the make out session. The look of love and desire still shone back in her eyes and her amazing ivory skin glowed in the light of the fire.

Veronica knew that she wasn't the most developed girl that Logan had been with, but she trusted him and she knew how much he loved her. If she hadn't, the look of reverence he was giving her nude form was enough to convince her.

She was surprised at how hot she got, just seeing his response to her. Knowing the impact she had on him, was an aphrodisiac. She needed to feel him again, to be touched by him.

She wove her fingers into Logan's hair as she leaned back to lay down. In return, Logan's eyes rolled back in his head as he let out a deep moan. He wrapped his arms around her body and slid his cheek beside hers. As they were descending, he whispered with a throaty voice, "How can anything be so gorgeous?"

He moved his mouth to hers once they had reached the floor. "You're perfect," he spoke against her lips before kissing her.

Once again, Logan kissed down her neck and onto her chest, but her body ached with anticipation of what was to come. Then, just when she thought she couldn't take any more, she felt his nose gently touch her right nipple before his tongue lightly circled it and then swept across it. She whimpered as her nipple tightened, almost painfully.

She wrapped one of her legs around his and the other she brought up to cradle his hip. Her fingers were digging into his shoulders at the sensations he was sending through her body. She knew she was probably being too rough, but she was having trouble controlling any part of her body. The simplest tasks seemed like a massive undertaking. All she could do was feel.

As Logan continued his ministrations on her other breast, she couldn't imagine what else he could have planned for her. That was until she realized that he had lifted her leg higher against him and pushed himself closer to her. She could feel his erection through his pants and her panties. Her skirt had long ago been bunched around her waist.

He ran his hand down her butt until his fingers came into contact with her moist center. He began rubbing his finger over her very gently, almost like he was tickling her, but it wasn't like any tickle she'd felt before.

With his mouth still working her breasts and the feel of his skin against hers and the newest sensation between her legs, she found herself gently thrusting her hips at him. She was rubbing against his erection while his finger and mouth were doing their magic and her head was spinning.

She reached between them and he lifted himself just enough for her to unbutton and unzip his pants. His movement stilled the moment she wrapped her hand around his erection and he groaned against her breast. She squeezed slightly and then began to move her hand over him. She wasn't giving him a traditional hand job, she was exploring him.

She would run her finger tips down each side of him until she reached the base, then she would rub him for a moment before returning her fingers to the tip of him. She circled the sensitive ridge of his tip lightly with one finger.

"Oh, Ronnie." Logan groaned. He knew that he wasn't going to last very long if she continued to touch him like that. The fact that his girl was exploring him and trying to learn his body as well as she had explored and knew his mind was overwhelming. It meant so much that she wanted to know every facet of him.

He sat up, but Veronica wasn't worried. She knew exactly what he was doing and she was thankful that they were finally going to be together. Once he unzipped her skirt, she lifted her hips for him to take it off, along with her panties. Then, he kicked off his pants and boxers and laid back against her.

He kissed her and felt her shudder as he rubbed himself along her opening. She was gripping his arms and pulling him toward her.

"Logan, please." She wasn't sure what she was asking of him. Was she asking that he give her what her body was screaming for? Was she asking him to be gentle with her? Was she asking him to hurry? To go slow? Was she asking for his expression of love and for him to never leave her? Probably all of it. All rolled into one word, 'please'.

Logan used his hand to guide himself to her. He pushed into her slightly, watching her for any discomfort. He was staring into her beautiful green eyes.

"I love you," he said as he pushed a little further. He could feel her tense and he paused to give her a moment to adjust to him. He wished he could take away her discomfort. He wanted to make it go away and give her only pleasure. Unfortunately, all he could do was go as slow as possible.

He entered her cautiously, watching for her approval each moment. When he was finally completely encased in her, he waited again.  
"I love you so much, Ronnie." He said softly as he wiped away the few her tears from the pain she'd felt.

"Oh, Logan. I love you, too." She paused and closed her eyes. " I love you and I want you."

Veronica kissed him and he could feel her body relaxing. He moved in and out of her slowly, paying close attention to her body language and the sounds she was making.

It was heaven. When he moved just right, the most heavenly sounds and movements came from her. Her moans and gasps, her labored breathing mixed with the way she would tug and pull at him, trying to bring him even closer.

After a short time of learning each other's movements, their hips began to work together. They had been a team, one unit since getting together and at that moment they were moving as one unit.

The pain had subsided completely for Veronica and the pleasure was taking over. Logan was nibbling on her ear and breathing on her neck and licking her jaw. His hand had moved back to her breast and their thrusts became faster and harder until the moment that Veronica's entire body went rigid. She held onto Logan so tightly, he could barely move and he watched as the pleasure took over the expression on her flushed face.

He thrust just two more times before he was exploding into her. She was amazed at how good it felt to have him empty himself inside of her. Inside her...that's definitely where he belonged, she decided.

He rolled onto his back, bringing her with him as he went. She was exhausted from their previous activity and just slumped against him.

"Ronnie? Are you okay?" Logan was happy that she'd climaxed, but there was so much more to this experience for her. He just wanted to make sure that she was okay physically and emotionally.

"I'm wonderful." She said sleepily.

"That you are. That. You. Are."

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	47. Chapter 47

Drunk Logan  
Chapter 47, Final Chapter

Since this is the last chapter, I've decided to respond to reviews through PM's. Thanks!

A/N: Wow! It has been an amazing ride. When I began this story, I was just trying to fill a void for myself. There wasn't enough LoVe in the world of fanfic for me. I had never written anything and was afraid I was going to be booed off the forum. Even with this last chapter, I find myself nervous about posting. I've been so afraid each and every chapter that you'd hate it. I was wrong. You have been tremendously supportive and I cannot thank you enough for the amazing feedback, the kind words and the encouragement.

Thanks to Chandramas, who has allowed me to bounce ideas off of her. Thanks!

I really hope that you like this chapter and the way I've chosen to end the fic. I do have plans for a 2nd fic. I've had to try to push all of the ideas floating around in my head away so that I could focus on finishing DL.

One last thing. Every time I sit down to write, I always plug my ear buds into my computer while I have LoVe videos that I've downloaded from The LoVe Shack. I cannot tell you how many times I've watched them, but it's to the point that when my children hear any of the following songs, they say "Veronica". So, anyway...a big thank you to the following people who created the videos that have been so instrumental in me writing this fic. Thanks!

Ever The Same - Video by Stephanie  
Kissing You - Video by Logansgirl17  
Stay With Me - Video by Buffy Fanatic  
The Right Kind of Wrong - Video by - Video by ? Everyone Should Experience LoVe  
More Than Anyone - Video by Tiera  
Trip - Video by kldubz  
What Hurts The Most??? - by ???? (Sorry, not even sure if that's the name of the song and no author is listed)  
My Immortal - Video by Alli

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Logan woke up the next morning feeling completely at peace. He'd had the night of his dreams with the girl of his dreams. He could feel the warm sunlight pouring through the windows and dancing across his skin. He smiled to himself and then blinked his eyes, slowly opening them.

When he finally focused, he saw Veronica laying next to him, staring at him. He was surprised by the expression on her face. It was softer than he'd seen since Lilly had died. It was as if all of the hurt and shame and torture of the last year had been wiped out over night. After everything he'd done to make her miserable during their year at war, he couldn't believe that he'd had something to do with that softness. That look alone made him happier than he knew he deserved to be. After all, who deserved to be as happy as he was?

The small smile she'd been wearing grew when he looked at her. "Good morning, Sleepy head."

"Mmmm, good morning. How long have you been awake?" Logan smiled back at her as he wrapped her in his arms.

"Um..." she looked at the clock on the night stand. "Just about an hour."

"An hour? Are you crazy! What have you been doing?" Logan had no idea of why she would have been up for that long. If she'd been asleep when he woke up, he may have given her five minutes while he brushed his teeth. Then, he not only would have woken her up, but he would've found a creative way in which to wake her.

"I woke up because I had to go to the bathroom. Then, I was just laying here, relaxing...and watching you sleep. I thought you were sexy when you you're awake. You are beyond hot when you're sleeping." She giggled at her own brazenness.

Logan moved quickly and was out of bed and across the room in an instant.

"Logan, what are you doing? Where are you going?" Veronica sat up in bed. Logan hadn't said a word and was acting more odd than usual. She watched as he rushed into the bathroom.

A couple of minutes later, the bathroom door swung open swiftly and Logan leaned against the door frame. One of his legs was kicked up crossing his other leg at the ankle and his arms were crossed in front of his chest. He was the vision of suave.

Veronica had a confused look on her face. She thought he was crazy. Then, as she was about to ask him what was going on, he took off running toward the bed. When he was about five feet away, he leapt at her and she squealed and tried to protect herself.

Logan landed and the whole bed bounced. The were laughing hysterically.

"Wh-what are you d-doing, Logan?" She was trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, I was just wondering how you're feeling?" The look he had on his face and the way he was behaving let her know that the meaning of his statement wasn't as simple as the words he'd spoken.

"How I'm feeling?"

"Yeah. You know, after last night." He looked down her body and then took his hand and trailed down her body on the outside of the blankets.

"You sore?" He asked quietly. The tone of his voice had changed, too and Veronica was starting to understand what he was really asking her.  
"Hmm..." she started as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't know. Maybe you know some way to check?"

"Oh, I definitely think I could help you out with that." He bent down and kissed her as he climbed under the blankets with her.

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"Whew..." Veronica was still trying to catch her breath. "I'd say...not too sore."

Logan chuckled as he pulled her to lay on top of him. "Does it get any better than this?"

"You know what?" Veronica said, contemplating the question. "I used to think it couldn't. I should be holding my breath and waiting for something to go wrong. I'm not, though. Logan, this...we, are only going to get better. I am so excited to see what happens. I've never been as sure about anything as I am about us. It's like when we saw your mom in action after Aaron died. Remember? We said 'Times, they are a-changin'.' It was true then and the tide has changed for us too, Logan."

"You don't think we'll mess this up?" Logan had planned on being with Veronica for as long as he could, but he didn't know that she was as sure as he was.

"I trust you, Logan, and I trust us. We'll take care of each other. I know that now. After everything we've been through, in these last few months, we've always put each other first. I thought that after things calmed down and we weren't finding ourselves in life-threatening situations constantly and we weren't constantly fighting against outside forces, that our bond wouldn't be as strong. The reality is that it has become even stronger, we are stronger. You're my best friend, Logan. I never get tired of being with you. We've known each other for so long and yet, I feel like I'm constantly learning new things about you. You are always surprising me. And, now that I've discovered your additional talents," she looked up and down his body, showing what talents she was referring to, "I've got even more to learn about you. We're going to be fine, Logan. We're going to be great and I can't wait to see where each day takes us."

"I can't wait either. I'm still amazed at everything we've been through. It's been wild. And, now...here we are. Laying in bed, skin to skin and basking in the after glow!" They cracked up with laughter.

"Is it weird that I'm still a little self-conscious about being naked around you?" Veronica said when they had stopped laughing.

"What?" He thought she was joking until he looked at her face. The insecurity was written all over it. "Of course not. It's not like you're used to prancing around in front of me or anyone without your clothes. You'll get used to it in time, but we'll ease you into it, okay?"

She smiled shyly at him. She had no idea of why she was so embarrassed. They'd slept together all night and neither had been wearing a stitch of clothing. Plus, he'd actually been the one to remove it the night before. Veronica was sure that his mouth had probably touched every inch of her body.

"Just for the record, though, Ronnie. You have NOTHING to be shy about." He winked at her and smirked.

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Logan showered and dressed first and then waited as Veronica did the same. He knew that she wasn't taking that long, but it felt like they'd been apart forever. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she was startled when she was suddenly picked up and spun around. Logan's lips were on her in an instant and she had to laugh at the irony of the situation. Here he was physically spinning her around, but he didn't need to be. Every time he kissed her, it made her feel like she was spinning out of control, with him as her only anchor.

Logan softly set her down as he continued to kiss her. When they broke apart, he leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. "Best Winter Break EVER!"

Veronica laughed at his theatrics. "The boy knows how to call it, Ladies and Gentlemen. Definitely one for the record books."

When they'd settled down, Veronica looked up at him and tilted her head to one side. "So, are you finally going to tell me where we are?"

Logan sighed and bit the side of his cheek as if he was really considering it. He knew, though, that he would tell her. That was the plan all along. He really just wanted the timing to be perfect. They'd had a great time and he was hoping that she would appreciate his plan in its entirety.

"First, answer something for me, okay?" He was looking into her eyes with the intensity of his gaze and she knew she'd answer anything he wanted to ask her at that moment.

"Anything."

"Have you enjoyed your time here?" Logan knew that it seemed like an obvious answer, but he had a point to asking her.

"Are you kidding? Didn't we just discuss that? I've had the best time, Logan. I wouldn't have traded this for anything." Veronica didn't know what he was getting at. He had been there and witnessed her enjoyment first hand.

"Good. That was my plan." He smiled, but it wasn't his normal cocky smirk. In fact, if she didn't know him better, Veronica would've thought that Logan was a little nervous.

"Your plan?" Veronica asked. She was squinting her eyes at him and raised her eyebrow in mock irritation.

"Yes, my love, my plan. I've been keeping this secret from you for more than a few days."

"Really? How long have you been planning this little victory date of yours?"

"Well, first of all, you in a catholic school girl outfit? Deserves a bit of planning, I'd say. Secondly, it took awhile to bring it all together. You see, everyday, while we've been at school, there has been a crew working on this place. First, with completely gutting it, getting rid of everything that it was. Then, with rebuilding it into a place that you would love and would associate only wonderful memories." He watched her, waiting for her to understand what he was saying. He knew she would. As he watched the realization sweep over her face, he actually took pride in how intelligent his girlfriend was.

"The pool house." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"The Echolls' pool house, to be exact. I didn't want you remembering him and everything he did to all of us every time you looked at this place. I'm hoping that by completely changing it and then creating new...amazing memories here, that you can be happy when you see it. That you might actually want to come back here with me sometime."

"Are you kidding me?" Logan was shocked. 'Uh oh, major misstep on my part.'

"Ronnie, I-I," he was trying to figure out a way to make it better when she cut him off.

"I can't believe that you did all of this for me. This was perfect, Logan." She started to spin around and look at her surroundings again. "Wow! It just looks nothing like it did. You did an amazing job."

Veronica spun back around to look Logan in the eyes again. "I can't believe you were able to pull all of this off. How did I miss this?"

"Well, the crew was only allowed to work when you were away at school or the office. They did a good job keeping things cleaned up so you wouldn't notice the mess."

"What did your mom say? Does she know what you planned for last night?" Although she loved Lynn, she blushed furiously at the thought that Lynn had known what they were up to the night before.

"No. Well, she knew why I wanted to do it. She thought it was a great idea. It's not like she wanted to come in and nap on the bed that Aaron had taped his sexcapades on. She loved the idea of a mountain cabin. She got to see the final product yesterday and said that you'd love it." Logan shrugged and waited for Veronica's response.

Veronica thought back to the night before, when Logan finally revealed the location of their date. Lynn was right. She had loved it. "Have I gotten that predictable?"

"Predictable?" Logan practically choked on the word. "No, I don't think you'll ever be predictable."

"Good. I'd hate for you to get bored with me." She was smiling, knowing that they could never get bored with each other. They had too much chemistry and passion. Although that was evident in their physical relationship, it was even more so in the little things. It was in the way they looked at each other or comforted one another with a smile or a touch when no one else knew they needed comforting. It was the way that no matter how many people they were around, how many distractions they had or the fact that they were being pulled in different directions, they always gravitated to each other.

"There is no way THAT could ever happen." He kissed her as he hugged her to him  
"I suppose we should get back to the house before my dad thinks you kidnapped me to Mexico to elope." She giggled a little when Logan rolled his eyes at her. He still didn't enjoy her Troy humor, but he'd gotten much better at rolling with it. He knew that it was a defense mechanism. If she joked about him, she didn't have to dwell on her experience with him. Logan always tried to play along with her, although it would still cause an immediate knot in his stomach every time Troy came up in conversation.

"Wrong boyfriend, Ronnie. That guy is sitting in a mental hospital being evaluated to see if he's competent to stand trial. I, on the other hand, am right here." He punctuated the point by rubbing his hand down her back and cupping her butt.

"Oh, right there, huh? That's a good place to be." They laughed as they broke apart and walked out of the pool house.

"Not only that...but when WE get married, your dad is going to be walking you down the aisle and we'll be surrounded by our family and friends." Veronica shot him a look at his nonchalance at the subject of marriage. He wasn't making a big deal of the conversation, it was as if he was just stating the facts.

A small smile graced her face. "Mmm, sounds much better than my first wedding. And, maybe it will last longer than the 55-hour Britney Special that my first marriage was."

They were holding hands and smiling as they walked into the house...where they stopped dead in their tracks, eyes wide and mouths gaping.

"Mom?"

"Dad?"

Startled at their children's presence, Keith and Lynn quickly separated from the kiss that they'd been enjoying.

"Uh-oh," the kids heard Lynn whisper as she ducked her head.

"Uh...hey kids." Keith said when Lynn seemed to overwhelmed by her embarrassment of being caught making out. "Have a good night?" He asked weakly.

"Well, now that puts a whole different spin on the conversation we were just having." Veronica whispered to Logan.

Logan, still in shock, squeezed her hand. "Yes, times, they definitely are a-changin'."

The End

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDISCLAIMER: I don't own VM or any part of it...neither do I own "Times, they are a-changin'" That is Bob Dylan.


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